ELEMENTS OF ART, 
A POEM. 



ELEMENTS OF ART, 

A POEM; 

IN 

SIX CANTOS; 

WITH 

NOTES AND A PREFACE; 

INCLUDING STRICTURES ON THE 

STATE OF THE ARTS, CRITICISM, PATRONAGE, 
AND PUBLIC TASTE. 



MARTIN ARCHER SHEE, R. A. 



At melius fuerat non scribere ; namque tacere 

Tutum semper erit. Scaliger. 

What scribblers ! pardon'd once, resume the pen, 
Forbearance brave, and rashly rhyme again ! 

Canto Sixth, 



LONDON: 



PRINTED FOR WILLIAM MILLER, ALBEMARLE-STREET, 

BY W. BULMER AND CO. CLEVELAND-ROW, 

ST. JAMES'S. 



1809. 



^s] 









PREFACE. 



1 he Following pages contain, in six cantos, the 
three remaining books of a poem, which was 
printed some time since, under the title of 
" Rhymes on Art. " 

Why the present publication has been so long 
deferred, after the indulgent reception of that 
little essay, may perhaps, be thought to require 
some explanation ; though it seems rather unne- 
cessary, to account for the late appearance of 
that, the non-appearance of which at all, would 
probably, be as little remarked as regretted. 

The Author however, owes it to those who 
have honoured him by enquiring for his work, 
as well as to his own feelings of gratitude for the 
liberality which he has experienced, to say a few 
words on the subject : particularly, as the delay 
seemed to strengthen an impression, which 



Vl PREFACE, 



some persons were not unwilling to receive, that 
either, no more of the work existed, and the 
idea of a continuation, was suggested to divert 
the attention from its evident incompletion ; or 
the Author feared to risk in a second adventure, 
the little credit which he had obtianed by his first. 

The Author is willing to flatter himself, that 
those who know him, will acquit him of the arti- 
fice expressed in the one, or the apprehension 
supposed in the other of these imputations. The 
defects which he cannot excuse by candor, he 
will never attempt to cover by finesse ; and he 
hopes, he is not so far blinded by his vanity, to 
the true character of the little commendation he 
has received, as to mistake the marks of indul- 
gence, for the stamp of desert. 

The whole of his work had been composed for 
a considerable time, before the Author formed 
the resolution, or found the opportunity to re- 
vise a part of it for the press. When he pub- 
lished " Rhymes on Art,** and for some time 
afterwards, he certainly, from the confined nature 
of the subject, as well as from his distrust of the 
skill with which it was treated, had no expecta- 
tion, that the reception of his little volume would 



PREFACE. VII 

be such, as to induce him to bring forward the 
larger portion of the poem which remained. 
His manuscript therefore, lay by him untouched, 
till the kindness of the public encouraged him 
to think, it might be offered to their perusal 
without the risk of imprudence, or the charge of 
presumption. 

When however, he commenced the task of 
preparation, he found, that the occasional leisure 
hours afforded by an arduous profession, though 
they might suffice for the composition, were 
not sufficient for the correction of an extensive 
work. Rhymes are something like recruits, 
which may be raised in all situations, but to fit 
them for service, requires the convenience of a 
parade, and the discipline of a drill. He was 
therefore, obliged to postpone the printing of his 
book, till circumstances should enable him to de- 
vote a month or six weeks to its undisturbed 
consideration 

The autumn of last year, furnished him with 
the first opportunity, of which he could avail 
himself for that purpose, and he now submits to 
the reader the result of his revisal. 

Some introductory lines have been added at 



Vlll PREFACE. 

the commencement of the first canto ; and the 
name of the work has been changed, out of res- 
pect to those liberal critics of the former volume, 
who judged so favourably of its merits, as to 
think it disparaged by the title. 

When the Author considers the nature and 
extent of the design, which he had originally 
proposed to himself, in writing on the subject of 
his art, he feels, that he has but little claim to 
that measure of modesty, which the " humility 
of his title" has been supposed to display. In 
the ambitious arrogance of youth, he had pro- 
jected a work, of which, to have thought himself 
equal to the due execution, certainly argued as 
little diffidence as discretion. 

In one poem, of four parts, he had intended to 
treat at large, of the rise, progress, present state, 
and principles of painting. The first part was 
to have unfolded its origin, progress, and perfec- 
tion amongst the ancients. The second, its re- 
vival and advancement amongst the Italians, 
Flemish, and French. The third, its rise, 
progress, and present state in Britain ; and the 
fourth, was to have been devoted to a didactic 
essay on its principles and powers. 



PREFACE. IX 

Upon this plan however, the Author had not 
proceeded far, before he discovered, that his 
ambition surpassed his ability ; and that he had 
neither learning nor leisure sufficient for the 
task which he had proposed. The subject so 
branched around him in ail directions ; such 
iC a swarm of topics settled on his pen," that he 
shrunk from his undertaking, contracted his 
views, and contented himself with attempting to 
erect a small didactic lodge on the site of the 
poetical palace which he had projected. 

The volume therefore, which he now presents 
to the public, with that which preceded it, com- 
pletes the project of his humbler hopes ; al- 
though the two, include but a small portion of his 
original design. 

Notwithstanding that the Author expressly 
stated, in the preface to Rhymes on Art, the di- 
dactic nature of his poem, he finds, that of those 
who have done him the honour to think of it 
at all, the greater number expect, in his present 
work, a continuation of " the remonstrance of the 
painter," and look for nothing but satire, expos- 
tulation, and complaint. But though he is fully 
convinced, that a theme so prolific as the frivolous 



X PREFACE. 

pursuits, false taste, and pedantry of the day, 
might well run unexhausted through two vo- 
lumes of ridicule and reproof; and though he 
confesses, he could behold with some satisfaction, 
the ludicrous writhings of folly and vanity, under 
the operation of those wholsome correctives ; 
yet, he is far from supposing himself qualified, 
to administer such a persevering castigation. 

Whatever appears in his work of a satirical 
character, is incidental to it. His plan is precep- 
tive ; and though he has occasionally, ventured 
to let fly a few shots at the enemy, when they 
came in his way, he by no means intended to 
come to close quarters, or presumed to call the 
attention of the public to a pitched battle, in 
which his prowess is but little calculated to 
contribute to their sport. His rhymes, like raw 
levies, can be safely employed only in distant 
skirmishing, and are not fit for a general engage- 
ment. 

Concerning the contents of his present vo- 
lume, the Author has but little to observe : as 
the title announces, they refer principally, to 
those early periods of study, for the direction of 
which, former writers, have in a great measure, 



PREFACE. XI 

neglected to provide. His work has no preten- 
sions to be considered as a regular treatise on 
painting ; nor does it aspire to instruct the en- 
lightened Connoisseur, or the accomplished 
Artist. To the undisciplined tyro of Taste he 
would address himself: he takes up the student 
in the weak and helpless moments of inexpe- 
rience, when, an infant in the nursery of Art, 
he begins to feel his feet and moves in tottering 
apprehension : when all is doubt and indecision 
— eagerness without object, and impetuosity 
without force or direction. He would, in short, 
furnish the young painter with a guide, of which, 
at a similar period of study, the Author himself 
experienced the want: a guide, which though it 
may not secure him from error, or conduct him 
to excellence, will at least tend to open the coun- 
try to his view, to lead him in the tracks of com- 
mon sense, and stimulate his powers, if it cannot 
strengthen them. 

Minds occupied in the pursuits of Taste, are 
peculiarly subject to intervals of weariness and 
depression. The strongest powers cannot always 
bear up against unexpected obstructions ; or 
preserve an equality of ardor amidst the vicissi* 



xii preface; 

tudes of hope and despair. For this occasional 
lassitude — this intermitting torpor of the faculties, 
the most effectual remedy, is perhaps, found in 
books, or conversations on the subjects of our 
study. Through these mediums are discovered, 
new lands of promise, new springs of hope, and 
fresh sources of consolation. The menial powers 
are still busied about their most important ob- 
jects ; they are refined as well as refreshed, and 
exercised even in the moment of relaxation. 

Amongst Artists, there is not perhaps an indi- 
vidual of talent or feeling, but will confess, that 
he has never risen from the perusal of a rational 
work, or the enjoyment of a liberal conversation 
on the subject of his art, without finding his 
emulation excited, his ardor rekindled, and his 
resolution new strung. The confidence of the 
painter in his own powers revives, in proportion 
as he discovers, that embarrassments which he 
supposed peculiar to himself, are common to 
all ; that others encounter the same difficulties, 
and suffer under similar apprehensions ; soar 
like him, in elation, and sink like him, in dis- 
may. His genius is warmed with new zeal, and 
wound up to a higher pitch of enterprize ; he 



PREFACE. Xlii 



returns to the charge with redoubled alacrity, 
till newefforts produce new languors, and expec- 
tation again subsides in despondency. 

Considered in this view, the biography of 
eminent men, the works which treat of art and 
science, may be said to be useful, even when 
they cannot be considered as deeply instructive : 
they keep up our ardor at least, if they do 
not increase our information, Heroes have been 
roused to arms by the recounted exploits of a 
Turenne or a Marlborough, and the playful 
garulity of Richardson is reported to have 
awakened the genius of a Reynolds. 

Productions of this kind, when they contain 
no gross or dangerous errors, will always employ 
to advantage the hours of leisure and lassitude, 
and often effect as an amusement, that benefit 
which they fail to accomplish by instruction. 

Upon which of these grounds the Author 
will be allowed to rest his claim to the attention 
of the public, or whether he may not be thought 
deficient on both, it is not for him to anticipate ; 
he fears however, that the didactic poet who 
does not succeed in amusing his reader, will 
teach him to little purpose. 



XiV PREFACE. 

The present essay, is intended but as pre- 
paratory to a higher course of instruction — 
as introductory to the study of a Fresnoy, and 
a Reynolds. The Author considers himself only 
as the humble usher, to conduct the student 
into the presence of those, who are better qua- 
lified to be the guides of his maturity, and the 
models of his imitation. 

To enliven the dulness of continued precept, 
and add variety to illustration, characters have 
been interspersed wherever the subject seemed 
to admit of such assistance. But however it may 
diminish the interest of this part of his work, 
the Author must disclaim here, as he has dis- 
claimed in his former volume, all intention of 
pointing to individuals, 

Since the days of Theophrastus, to the pre- 
sent moment, no man has ever sketched a cha- 
racter, however arbitrary or fanciful, without 
being supposed to have had a model in his eye, 
and to have painted from nature, rather than 
imagination. This seems a consequence inse- 
parable from the nature of the case. It is not 
easy to cast a censure that will not stick some- 
where, or to strike at a defect without hitting 



PREFACE. XV 

somebody ; and if a single feature can be tor- 
tured to a resemblance, malignity never fails to 
appropriate the whole face. To strip off the 
supposed disguises of policy; to penetrate the 
artful coverts of allusion, and drag a lurking 
likeness into day, is a gratification of spleen as 
well as an exercise of sagacity ; and satire is 
perhaps never more acceptable, than when we 
think we have fixed its point, and can fasten 
upon an individual that which belongs to the 
species. 

The Author has endeavoured to disappoint, 
as far as possible, this kind of malevolent inge- 
nuity. The integrity of the moralist however, 
would be but little commended, who should re- 
frain from censuring the vices of his time, lest 
the guilty should suppose themselves glanced 
at. Duty is the last sacrifice that should be 
made to delicacy ; and we shall in vain attempt 
to vindicate the right, if we have not the cou- 
rage to condemn the wrong. He who offends 
against the principles of morality or taste, has 
reason to think himself fortunate, if he be 
allowed to escape in a general censure ; if, in 



XVI PREFACE. 

the vigilant animadversions of the pulpit or the 
press, he be not singled out as an illustration, 
and satirized as an example. 

In the names of his characters, as well as their 
qualities, the Author has carefully avoided every- 
thing that might be construed as a personal allu- 
sion ; he has personified particular defects, not 
satirised particular person's. Thus the bigotted 
votary of design and outline, he represents in 
the character of Timanthes ; the advocate for 
colouring in that of Panaeus ; the undiscrimi- 
nating follower of nature, as Euphranor ; and 
the prejudiced worshipper of the antique, in 
that of Torso : ascribing to each, such de- 
fects in art, as experience proves, to result 
commonly, from his peculiar prejudices. 

This principle has governed him through the 
various characters, which he has attempted to 
delineate ; and the members of his profession 
will readily believe, that, had he been dis- 
posed to turn poetical portrait-painter, however 
he might have succeeded in the picture, he 
would not have failed in the likeness. Indeed 
if he thought the following pages contained one 



PREFACE. XV11 

character which could be justly considered, as 
intended to describe an individual, he would 
not hesitate to blot it from his book. 

In the present, as well as in his former pub- 
lication, the Author has been tempted to enlarge 
occasionally, upon the subject which first em- 
boldened him to appear before the public in a 
literary shape ; and the just claims of the Arts to 
participate in the patronage of the State, with 
other objects of utility or glory, are discussed 
freely, whenever the natural course of his re- 
flections afforded the opportunity. 

In a preface to the second edition of Rhymes 
on Art, written in 1805, the Author, while 
offering a just tribute of acknowledgment to 
the liberal Founders of the British Institution, 
observed, that " there would be reason to regret 
should the Government (in consequence of their 
exertions) hold itself exonerated from all inter- 
ference in favour of the Arts." 

This observation proceeded from the convic- 
tion, that the public feeling was not sufficiently 
alive to the importance of the objects which 
occasioned the formation of that establishment, 
to co-operate effectually for their attainment. 

b 



XV111 PREFACE* 

If, at the time when this remark was written, 
any doubts were entertained as to its justice, 
what has occurred since that period, must have 
served effectually to remove them. When 
we consider how little the zeal, the example, 
and the exertions of those elevated and enlight- 
ened characters, which have interested them- 
selves in the success of the British Institution, 
have been able to effect, for the advancement of 
historical art, it is impossible to resist the con- 
viction, that unless the Government can be in- 
duced to shew some sensibility towards their 
interests, the Arts, as liberal ornaments and 
moral agents, as instruments to promote the re- 
finement and preserve the fame of a people, 
must, at no very distant period, be utterly ex- 
tinguished amongst us. 

The founders of the British Institution are 
justly entitled to the regard and gratitude of the 
Artist, for their exertions in his cause: they 
have rescued him from the illiberal prejudices 
of the collector, and the interested depreciation 
of the picture-dealer. That few are inclined 
to encourage the productions of modern Art, is 
an evil, which they perhaps, have not the power 



PREFACE. XIX 

to remedy ; but that no man's taste is now in- 
terested to decry them, must be attributed en- 
tirely to their influence. 

After the experience which they have had 
however, these enlightened friends of Art, must 
be convinced of the utter inadequacy of their 
present plan, to effect the objects for which 
their establishment appears to have been formed. 
What we had a right to expect, in times like 
these, from the unaided efforts of private libe- 
rality they have performed : and if persons 
of their high rank, fortune, and station, zeal- 
ously co-operating for the advancement of art, 
can offer no more powerful stimulus, to the his- 
toric genius of the country, than a possibility of 
sale in the British Gallery, or a chance of 
gaining a prize of fifty pounds; wh:it hopes re- 
main for the pencil of him, whose unaccommo- 
dating ambition will not allow him, to toil for 
six months in imitating the bloom of a peach, or 
the twill of a Turkey carpet? What more deci- 
sive proof can be desired, that the resources of 
private patronage are exhausted, or diverted to 
other objects ; and that to the interference of the 
State only, the eye of Taste can be now directed, 



XX PREFACE. 

either for the proper stimulus, or the adequate 
remuneration of Genius ? 

But the patriotic zeal of those who have 
stepped forward in favour of the Arts, will not 
be checked by difficulties, which their sagacity, 
from the apathyof the public in matters of Taste, 
must have in a great measure anticipated. They 
will not suffer to be frustrated, the benefits 
which they have proposed, nor the hopes which 
they have excited. They will add new levers 
to the machine which they have so honourably 
set in motion, and at length, stir those powers 
of the state, which have been so long immove- 
able by every other application. After the 
exertions which they have made, it is impossible 
to doubt of their zeal ; and when their rank and 
consequence in society are considered, their in- 
fluence must appear as irresistible, as the cause 
which calls for it is worthy of their protection, 
and important to the character of their country. 
Wherever, in the following pages, the Author 
has touched on topics connected with this sub- 
ject, he has spoken his sentiments without re- 
serve. He who has no personal views to promote, 
under the mask of public objects, has no occasion 



PREFACE- XXI 

for management, or finesse, and should scorn 
to degrade his cause by adulation. He would 
not dishonour the Arts by urging their interests 
in the whine of supplication, What they 
may not. claim from the wisdom of the statesman, 
they have no right to expect from his generosity; 
and if they cannot propitiate his patriotism by 
their deserts, they should disdain to plead as 
paupers to his commiseration. 

If, amongst the various discoveries of modern 
times, our sagacity should have at length found 
out, that the Arts have no pretensions to the con- 
sideration or protection of the state : if the policy 
of every great statesman, from Pericles to Maece- 
nas, and from Maecenas to Colbert, be now per- 
ceived to be erroneus, if it be no longer deemed 
the duty of those who direct the affairs of nations, 
to bestow a thought upon the cultivation of 
Literature and Taste, — to call forth the genius, 
or consult the reputation of their country : if all 
that can ennoble the nature of man, or immorta- 
lise the memory of empires, must now be cast 
into the vortex of vulgar interests, and left 
without an effort, to sink or swim, in the gloomy 
tempest of politics and party, the victims of 



XX11 PREFACE. 

Taste and Literature, cannot be too soon ac- 
quainted with their fate, that they may humble 
their hopes before the wisdom of their age, and 
prepare for contempt and degradation. 

But some of the Author's more prudent 
brethren will call this, indiscretion ; will again, 
as on the occasion of his former work, with a 
grave face lament his rashness, and prophesy 
with great feeling, that no good can arise from it 
to the Arts, and much evil must result to the 
Author. To these wary sons of circumspection, 
who even think in way of trade, and never 
speak but on speculation, the Author certainly 
owes no deference, and desires from them no 
commendation. 

Selfish and servile, they are insensible to the 
public claims of their profession, because they 
are conscious of no public spirit in themselves. 
They would petition for the Artist, but would 
not expostulate for the Art. They would soli- 
cit without dignity, what they would receive 
without desert, and abuse without hesitation. 
They would calumniate the genius of our age, 
and sacrifice the best interests of their Art, for the 
pleasure of decrying the credit of those, who 



PREFACE. XX111 

have the spirit to defend them. To gain the 
smile of a great man, or the chance of a commis- 
sion, they would take part with all the preju- 
dices of Taste, and prostitute the name of patron 
to every picture-dealer of the day. 

Whatever may be his faults or his feebleness 
as an advocate, the Author has the satisfaction 
to reflect, that the cause has not been injured by 
his means ; and as the patriotic anxiety of those 
pupils of policy, must be now somewhat al- 
layed on this head, it is to be hoped, that their 
sensibility will not suffer much from a conside- 
ration of those ill consequences to the Author, 
which they have so kindly suggested. He can 
assure them, that he has no fears for himself, 
and if the adoption of their sentiments were to 
be made a condition essential to his success, he 
would spurn the degrading stipulation, and ex- 
claim, 

" Let Fortune do her worst ! I cannot choose 
" To prosper in such company." 

They whose taste and liberality the Author 
respects, and whose approbation he zealously 
desires, will know how to distinguish between 



XXIV PREFACE* 

the honest warmth of him who pleads for gene- 
ral interests, and the smiling hypocrisy of those 
who study only their own. 

But he who cannot make up his mind to neglect 
and discouragement, has no business to be, in 
times like these, a poet or a painter ; and as the 
Author's perverse ambition has exposed him to 
the disadvantages which attach to both those 
characters, he will not, if it should be necessary, 
shrink from the consequences of his folly or his 
fate. 

He is however, sheltered in the mediocrity of 
his pretensions ; as he does not aspire to the 
honours, neither is he exposed to the hazards of 
those, who dignify by daring enterprize, the 
pencil and the lyre. His humble efforts with 
these instruments will not suffer in the estimation 
of the public, from the zeal with which he has 
ventured to advance the claims of those who do 
more credit to their art, and deserve better of 
their country. 

If the liberality were at as low an ebb as the 
patronage of the day ; if the Arts, in their best 
interests, were not only neglected and disre- 



PREFACE. XXV 

garded, but even their complaints were to be 
repelled as offensive and their advocates consi- 
dered as presumptuous, 

Why then 'twere time to seek some humble trade, 
To seize the plough, the shuttle, or the spade ; 
To rush from scenes by fear and pride debased, 
And leave to sycophants — the curse of taste. 

If the Author did not dread the evil of a 
long preface, he would be tempted to say some- 
thing in excuse for his long notes. They cer- 
tainly have far exceeded his intentions, and 
appear too often, rather as principals than ap- 
pendages. A little more experience of the press, 
would perhaps, have enabled him to calculate 
better, and compress his annotative exuberance 
within the limits of typographic propriety. 

A distinguished writer of the present day, 
(Mr. Cumberland) has so strongly condemned 
the practice of writing notes, that the Author. 
who will, he fears, be found an unconscionable 
culprit in this respect, would shrink before the 
vigour and variety of illustration with which 
that censure is enforced, if he had not prece- 
dent to plead in his defence. To say the truth 
however, he has not much respect for this 



XXVI PREFAGE. 

species of justification, and if no better can be 
drawn from the nature of didactic works in 
general, and the advantage of support and eluci- 
dation, which the subject may receive from 
this kind of running accompaniment, he must 
without further observation, throw himself on 
the discretion of the court. 

To the unbiassed judgment of the public 
on this, as well as every other part of the 
case which he now presents for investigation, it 
is the Author's duty to bow with submissive 
respect. The indulgence which he has already 
experienced, has operated as a claim on his exer- 
tion, not as a pledge of his security ; and has 
excited his gratitude without encreasing his con- 
fidence. 

Though some palliation of occasional negli- 
gence might possibly be allowed to him, on the 
plea of professional employment, yet he hopes 
that inattention will not be found to be a frequent 
cause of his defects. In preparing for the press a 
work, which appeared to his inexperience, both 
extensive and embarrassing, he certainly, felt 
the inconvenience which may be supposed to 
have resulted from the unavoidable avocations 



PREFACE. XXVU 

of his art. But though his leisure moments only, 
could be devoted to his literary views, he 
should think it presumptuous to print what 
they have produced, if he could not at the same 
time acknowledge that no want of time or care 
can be urged in excuse for its imperfection. 

He who has not the opportunity to study his 
work, should not have the temerity to publish 
it. If defects of inability are censurable, defects 
of negligence are insulting. An author is com- 
monly an intruder upon his readers, and should 
take care to prove, that he has omitted nothing 
in his power, which can render his presence ac- 
ceptable, or shew his respect for the company : 
but what must be thought of his discretion, who, 
though he comes uncalled, confesses himself 
to be unprepared ? 

No man has a right to amuse himself at the 
public expense, which he may be justly said to 
do, who obtrudes upon our attention, what he 
admits to be the sport of his recreation, rather 
than the fruit of his industry. 

The Author has now completed his literary 
voyage, but he cannot expect to discharge his 
lading, without paying the customs of criticism. 



XXVill PREFACE. 

Though not a regular trader, he hojpes he will 
not be found to have gone much out of his 
course ; and in taking leave of a service* in which 
he is conscious he must appear as 

u A lounging landsman, aukward at the oar;" 

he shall think himself fortunate, if his goods be 
not condemned as contraband of Taste, and his 
owners should be no losers by their speculation* 



ELEMENTS OF ART. 



CANTO FIRST. 



ARGUMENT. 

Allusion to the Author's former publication — invocation to 
Taste, as the presiding power that directs the operations 
of the poet and the painter — inefficiency of labour with- 
out genius in the Arts — utility of rules and precepts — 
judgment the guide of Genius — particularly required by 
the young painter, to conduct him through the per- 
plexities of Taste — salutary influence of common sense — 
superior opportunities of the poet, in having always 
at his command the best models of his art — the Student 
in painting rarely possessed of this advantage, and com- 
monly secluded from the study of the old masters — his 
consequent errors — the delusions to which he is exposed, 
from the prejudices of those to whom he must apply for 
direction ; — contrarieties of Taste exemplified in the cha- 
racters of Timanthes, Panaeus, Euphranor, and Torso — 
the Student cautioned to beware of the opinions of those 
who recommend extremes in art, and ascribe to some one 
merit a disproportionate importance — the diligent study 
of design recommended — an early use of the palette also 
proposed — the pencil and the portcrayon correctives of 
each other — the advantages which result from carrying 
on together the practice of both — the study of ancient 
sculpture stated, as the school of Beauty and Grace — a 
standard of proportion first formed by the Greeks, and 
unequalled by the ability of latter times — propriety of 
drawing attentively from the living model — defects which 
always result from designing exclusively after sculpture, 
and advantages which are derived from the study of the 
living figure, in qualifying the dryness of style which 
is often occasioned by an injudicious devotion to the 
antique. 



ELEMENTS OF ART. 



CANTO I. 



Non mihi Pieridum chorus hie, nee Apollo vocandus 
Ornari praecepta negent, contenta doceri. 



Fresnoy. 



IHO' weak of wing, and scarce above the ground 
Her former flight, the Muse some favour found ; 
Her cause attracted where her skill had fail'd, 
The Painter's, not the Poet's art prevail'd. 
But now her theme to still more humble strains 
Imperious calls, where thoughtful precept reigns; 
Delivering slow, in rough sententious rhyme, 
What observation draws from toil and time. 

n 



22 ELEMENTS OF ART. 

Yet, may the Muse, tho' still her course she trace 
Jntechnic trammels, and didactic pace, 10 

Collect some flow'rets as she plods along, 
Should Taste propitious smile upon the song. 

Spirit of heaven ! descending to adorn 
Life's brighter days, of peace and order born ; 



Line 13. Spirit of heaven ! descending to adorn] — Taste 
is a quality more easily personified than explained. Phi- 
losophers and critics are still so little agreed about its pro- 
perties and principles, that the poet and the painter may 
be excused if, having created an imaginary personage so im- 
portant to their functions, they invest her with such attri- 
butes as are congenial with her general character, and 
prefer to invoke, rather than investigate, her powers. If the 
influence of Taste upon the British public were indeed, in 
any reasonable degree, proportionate to the discussions 
which it has produced, we should certainly rank high in 
the scale of national refinement: but. unluckily, in mat- 
ters which seem to depend more on feeling than on reason- 
ing, on sentiment rather than on science, the most inge- 
nious theories, the most profound speculations, have but 
little practical operation ; and what the poet and the 
painter cannot effect for the general advancement of Taste, 
will be looked for in vain from the philosopher and the 
metaphysician. 

Thus there is, perhaps, no civilized people of modern 



CANTO FIRST. 3 

— In human hearts when hunted from his lair, 15 

No more the gloomy savage harbours there ; 
When Reason's ray the clouded soul has clear'd, 
When Science long has labour'd — Art appear'd, 



Europe amongst whom the principles of Taste have been 
less generally diffused than amongst us, or more philosophi- 
cally investigated ; and although the acquirements of indi- 
viduals have been amply sufficient to disprove the absurd 
imputations which foreign theorists have presumed to cast 
upon our climate, yet it must be confessed, that, as a nation, 
we have not evinced that degree of sensibility towards the 
productions of art, which has usually characterized the 
refinement of other countries. How far the laudable exer- 
tions of the few who consider this general disregard of the 
interests of Taste as a stigma upon our reputation, may 
succeed in removing it, cannot at present be decided : but 
there is much reason to fear, that while the Government 
continues to set the fashion of apathy and indifference, it 
will not cease to prevail amongst that numerous class of 
society, who think their coldness excused under the sanction 
of such an authority. To this description of persons 
the observation of Vitruvius, as quoted by De Piles, may 
be justly applied, u Propter ignorantiam arris virtutes 
obscurantur ;" and it is to be seriously lamented, that 
neither the impulse of feeling, nor the impressions of duty, 
are found to operate on those in elevated and official 



4 ELEMENTS OF ART. 

—Time form'd a temple for the guest divine, 
And Virtue's incense purified the shrine, 20 

Then , pure-eyed Taste ! thou deign'st, celestial Power ! 
To smile on man's ameliorating hour; 



stations, from whom a more enlightened policy and liberal 
example in this respect, might be reasonably required. 

An ignorance of the most obvious principles of Taste is 
indeed considered to be no impeachment of polite education. 
The minister at the helm, the judge from the bench, and 
the senator in debate, have been known to avow with- 
out a blush, their deficiency on this subject. The scholar 
too, who looks with contempt on those who are not as fa- 
miliar as himself, with the history and poetry of Homer or 
Virgil, scarcely knows that such men as Raphael and Ru- 
bens have existed ; and while he explores with rapturous 
anxiety the half obliterated inscription on an ancientmarble, 
considers the sculptor as a mechanic, and the statue as a 
stone. 

This insensibility to the objects of Taste, and the little 
value attached to the studies with which they are con- 
nected, by the more enlightened orders of society, are 
great obstacles to the general diffusion of knowledge on the 
subject. We must be sensible of our defects before we can 
hope to remove them ; and they who neither feel nor regret 
the want of Taste, are not likely to take much trouble to 
acquire it. 

Although the pride of erudition may possibly start at the 



CANTO FIRST. 5 

Then from the skies, while every Muse precedes, 
And Fancy's train the etherial triumph leads, 
While each young Grace in rapture's measure springs, 
And clustering Cupids float on filmy wings ; 2(3 



idea, it may be questioned, whether an acquaintance with 
the Taste of the Greeks would not be as useful as with their 
literature : whether a student would not be as beneficially 
employed in learning the principles of their design, as the 
rudiments of their grammar : in short, whether that which 
was considered so essential a part of their polite education, 
might not be advantageously introduced into ours ; and an 
English gentleman derive as much credit from an inter- 
course with their arts as their language. 

Mr. Hoare, in his " Enquiry," &c. has suggested the pro- 
priety of making the regular study of the arts of design an 
elementary part of public education; and proposed the 
appointment of professors in painting for that purpose in 
our Universities. Mr. Thomas Hope, also, in a paper pub- 
lished in u the Artist," has expressed sentiments of a similar 
tendency. It is indeed extraordinary, that painting should 
ever have been excluded from establishments in which 
the sister arts of poetry and music were received with 
honour, and invested with the robes of academical dignity. 
If we consider the arts of design, with respect to their in- 
fluence on the manners, the morals, the utilities, and the 
ornaments of life, they will be found to possess no inferior 
claim to distinction : and should the judgment of the ancients 



6 ELEMENTS OF ART. 

Then Goddess ! then, while Beauty bends, with Youth, 
And Wisdom woos thee to the bower of Truth, 
Thou comest to Genius — comest in all thy charms, 
Blest in his love, and bright'ning in his arms. 30 

As erst, fair Eve in Adam's eye bestow'd 
A richer bloom o'er Eden's pure abode ; 
Of thee enamour'd, as he roves around, 
Thou makest life's rudest wild enchanted ground : 
Whether the Muse allures him to the shades, 35 

Where meditation courts the tuneful maids ; 
Or, touch'd by music's power, the shell he tries, 
While crowding round responsive passions rise. 
But chief his soul when Painting's glories sway, 
Thou lovest thro' nature's walks to lead his way ; 40 



(an authority seldom questioned by the learned) be ad- 
mitted in their favour, the dignity of erudition would not 
be impaired by their association. If that particular class 
of students, whose pride and occupation it is, to explore 
the languages of ancient times, and whom we, par eminence, 
call scholars, had been familiar to the Greeks, it may be 
doubted, whether, in the estimation of that polished and 
discriminating people, an Apelles and a Zeuxis, a Phidias 
and a Protogenes, would not have been formidable rivals to 
the Cunninghams and the Scaligers, the Graevii andGronovii 
of their day. 



CANTO FIRST, 7 

To point her fairest features, and infuse 

A keener pleasure as his eye pursues; 

O'er each wild scene to wave thy tissued wings, 

And still present the picturesque of things. 

Fair idol of the soul refined ! whose sway 45 

The Graces own — the powers of art obey ; 

In life's gay dawn, when every hope beat high, 

And beams of glory danced before her eye, 

The Muse to thee her earliest vows address'd, 

And cast low cares for ever from her breast; 50 

Thy aid in double invocation claim'd, 

As now the pencil — now the lyre inflamed. 

A guiding beam, etherial Spirit ! lend, 

At once the Painter and the Bard befriend : 

Of thee unfavour'd, what presumptuous hand 55 

Shall wake the strain, or dare the scene expand ? 

Before thy glance life's aukward forms retreat, 

Thy smile is triumph, and thy frown defeat ! 

As in Bellona's field, when courage fails, 
Nor tactics thrive, nor discipline prevails ; 60 

In painting thus, where nature has denied 
The spark divine, in vain are pains applied. 
Beyond the reach of rule or precept placed, 
No waxen wing can soar the heaven of Taste: 



ELEMENTS OF ART. 



Poets and Painters, privileged heirs of fame, 65 

By right of birth alone, their laurels claim : 
The Nine repulsive, plodding toil refuse, 
And each dull son of System, vainly sues : 



Line 66. By right of birth alone, their laurels claim ;] — 
Etiam illud adjungo, saepius ad laudem atque virtutem na- 
turam sine doctrina, quam sine natura valuisse doctrinam. 

Cicero pro Arch. 

S'il ne sent point du ciel Pinfluence secrete, 
Si son astre en naissant ne Pa forme poete, 
Dans son genie etroit il est to uj ours captif, 
Pour lui Phoebus est sourd, et Pegasse est restif. 

Boileau, PArt Poetique. 
Without entering into a metaphysical investigation of 
the nature of genius, or discussing formally the various 
opinions which have been advanced on a subject so in- 
teresting, it may be safely assumed that all minds are 
not equally qualified to excel in the fine arts. Why two 
students, with respect to opportunity and application cir- 
cumstanced as nearly alike as the nature of human affairs 
will permit, shall make an unequal progress ? Why the one 
shall soar to celebrity, while the other sinks to insignifi- 
cance ? it is perhaps fruitless to enquire ; the fact is, how- 
ever, sufficiently impressed upon us by every day's experi- 
ence ; and whatever that quality may be, which we deno- 
minate genius, in no department of human exertion is its 



CANTO FIRST. 9 

The star of genius mast the light impart, 

That leads us to the promised land of Art. 70 

Yet tho' no maxims teach the Muses lore, 

JSo charts conduct us on the graphic shore, 



presence more conspicuous, or its absence more fatal, than 
in painting. 

To deny a difference in the natural powers of the mind, 
and their adaptation to particular pursuits, a difference be- 
yond the reach of art or education to remove, is a doctrine 
which, (although the pride of metaphysical subtlety may 
ingeniously maintain it) will always be controverted by a 
host of facts too strong to be entangled in the fine-spun 
webs of sophistry or syllogism. There are intellectual as 
well as physical sterilities ; and even where the mental 
soil is not barren, it will not prove equally grateful to every 
sort of culture, or equally productive with every kind of 
crop. 

Johnson observes, that " true genius is a mind of large 
general powers accidentia determined to some particular di- 
rection." This definition ascribes to genius the capability 
of general excellence ; but if this great moralist, philoso- 
pher, and critic (whose claims to true genius few will be 
tempted to contest) had been accidentally determined to 
the direction of painting or music, he most probably would 
have furnished a refutation of his own remark, and proved 
that those powers which could march with giant stride to 
excellence in the road of literature, would scarcely 



10 ELEMENTS OF ART. 

The voice of Precept claims prescriptive force, 
And rules, like beacons, warn us on our course. 
When neither lightly held, nor prized too high, 75 
Rules may assist the strength they can't supply ; 



enable him to crawl to mediocrity in the path of the fine 
arts. 

Cicero, the greatest orator of his time, was one of the 
meanest poets: 

" O ! fortunatam natam me consule Romam 

" Antoni gladios potuit contemnere, si sic 

u Omnia dixissei." Juvenal. 

What ambitious bard would accept of safety on such a 
condition I 

Pope directed his abilities to painting ; but though u he 
lisped in numbers" he found no such facility in art, and 
his proficiency with the pencil afforded no favourable illus- 
tration of the general powers of genius. 

The author is aware, that there are great names to be 
found in opposition to these sentiments, and amongst 
others, that of Reynolds, who has strenuously maintained 
the doctrine here attempted to be disproved. 

In subjects of this nature however, a respectful con- 
sideration, a cautious and hesitating dissent, are all that 
can be due to authority : and he can have but little claim 
to be heard in the discussion, who has not the courage to 
question any opinion which he conceives to be on the sid* 



CANTO FIRST. . 11 

The fountain copious feeds the stream below, 

But artful channels teach it how to flow ; 

Collect the wandering waters as they glide, 

And turn to use the regulated tide. 80 



of error and prejudice, or inconsistent with truth and 
experience.* 

To assert, that labour, however persevering or well di- 
rected, is adequate to the attainment of excellence in the 
more refined pursuits of life, may, possibly, be an en- 
couragement to patient industry, but we should consider 
that it is also a delusion to plodding dulness ; and becomes 
the means of degrading many a prosperous trader and skil- 
ful mechanic, to a vulgar versifier or a wretched artist. 

The works of Taste, though objects of the highest gra- 
tification, are not articles of the first necessity ; and there 
is little danger to be apprehended from the most candid 
avowal of the superior qualities which are required to pro- 
duce them. True genius will never be discouraged by diffi- 
culties, and if all those should be deterred from the pursuit 
who bring to it only the laborious patience of the drudge, 
society will experience no injury, and the arts will benefit 
by their exclusion. 



* It is curious to observe, how often those who dis- 
pute the influence of genius, and maintain the general 
equality of the human powers, are led inadvertently to 
bear evidence against their own cause. Thus, Reynolds, 



12 ELEMENTS OF ART. 

Yet not on genius only, he relies, 
Who starts accomplish 'd to achieve the prize; 
For as rich heirs who squander without sense, 
Derive no lustre from the vain expense, 
So, genius without judgment still we find 85 

But squanders wit — a prodigal of mind. 
The generous steed that prances o'er the plain, 
The higher mettled, needs the stronger rein ; 
And scorn'd alike, they rouse the critic's ire, 
Who fume all vapour, or who flame all fire. 90 



speaking of Carlo Maratti, says, "It is true, there is 
nothing very captivating in Carlo Maratti, but this pro- 
ceeded from a want which cannot be completely supplied, that 
is, want of strength of parts. In this certainly men are not 
equal ;" and again, " Carlo certainly, by diligence, made the 
most of what he had." These are no small admissions from 
him who declares that " In the arts nothing is denied to 
well directed labour," who says that " If you have but 
moderate abilities, industry will supply their deficiency ;" 
and who asserts, that " assiduity unabated by difficulty, and 
a disposition eagerly directed to the object of its pursuit, 
will produce effects similar to those which some call the 
result of natural powers." 

Helvetius also, the most determined advocate on the 
same side, admits that education cannot make every man 
a man of genius : u A quelque degre de perfection qu'on 
portat l'education, qu'on n'imagine cependant pas qu'on fit 
des gens de genie de tous les hommes a portee de la rece- 
voir." Helvetius, De l'Homme. 



CANTO FIRST. 13 

Judgment, supreme o'er all the powers of thought ! 
By penetration from experience caught, 
Clear prism of mind, where sage reflection views 
Truth's purest colours freed from Error's hues! 
Safe pilot of the soul ! without whose aid 95 

Equipp'd in vain, Ambition's anchor's weigh'd : 
Science misguided quits her course sublime, 
And Learning founders with the freight of Time. 
Judgment alone th' advent'rous train can save, 
Who launch their golden hopes on painting's wave : 
Bright o'er the scene tho' glory's visions rise, 101 

Their course 'twixt Scylla and Charybdis lies, 
Where Syrens lure with strong seductive power, 
And Lestrygonian critics fierce devour. 
To Judgment, then, let Ardour yield the rein, 105 

To guide his speed impetuous, and restrain: 



Line 105. To Judgment , then^ let Ardour yield the rein .] — In 
painting, perhaps, more than in any other art, our success 
depends upon the first principles which we adopt, and the 
first studies to which we are directed : yet there is no pur- 
suit in which the student appears to be more negligently 
superintended Years of the most valuable period of life 
are often lost in mistaken application to improper objects, 
or lavished under instructors of inferior capacity. With few 



!4 ELEMENTS OF ART. 

Who sets out wrong, with hurtful haste proceeds, 
Each step still farther from the Muse misleads: 
Too oft, confounded in the puzzling maze 
Of schools and styles, the wilder'd student strays ; 1 10 



opportunities of ascertaining his true course, or strengthen- 
ing his judgment by contemplating at leisure the best pro- 
ductions of his art, the young painter either hesitates with all 
the indecision and inactivity of one who commences his jour- 
ney without knowing his road, or commits himself to the 
discretion of a guide, who perhaps, after he has advanced a 
few steps, is but an obstruction in his way, and interrupts 
the finest prospects from his view. Painting is a craft and 
mystery not to be acquired by apprenticeship. Most of the 
eminent painters of the present day were self-taught, and the 
ablest masters of the past will not be found amongst those 
who studied in the celebrated schools of Italy, but amongst 
those who formed them. 

It excites the indignation as well as the regret of Taste, 
to contemplate Reynolds drudging in the manufactory of 
Hudson. An eagle chained to the perch of a hen-roost! ! 

The mechanical aids which a master can communicate 
are of little importance. Sound principles are to be acquired 
by the study of fine works only, and the contemplation of 
nature. What you cannot learn from his pictures, the painter 
will in vain endeavour to impart. A facility of managing the 
pencil is soon acquired by practice ; instruction on this head 
is a go-cart to a child; and he who cannot learn to walk 



CANTO FIRST. 15 

In error fixes — fluctuates in doubt, 
Forgets his object, and mistakes his route : 
Like hounds at fault, still turns to scent the game, 
And flags, exhausted in the chase of fame. 



without such assistance, may be assured that his genius is 
of a ricketty constitution, and deficient in the vigour neces- 
sary for the journey he would undertake. Reynolds says, 
u It is of no use to prescribe to those who have no talents, 
and those who have will find methods for themselves. " 

The more refined operations of the pencil, the manner 
in which it acts as the dextrous agent of the eye and the 
mind, will vary beyond the control of instruction, ac- 
cording to the experience, the enterprize, and the taste of 
him that holds it. 

In art nothing can be justly termed knowledge, but that 
which we have made our own by observation and experiment. 

The candid painter, who only is worthy of giving instruc- 
tion, will confess, that he has but little to impart.* He 



* If the master has himself a pure taste, and will con- 
scientiously take the time and trouble which are necessary 
to purify and improve the taste of his pupil, he may indeed 
render him the most essential service. Let him be care- 
fully taught to see, and he will soon learn to handle; but it 
is to be feared that this is not the usual process of tuition. 
The student is made useful in various ways not conducive 
to his improvement, and is too often treated as a drudge 
rather than a disciple. 



It) ELEMENTS OF ART. 

Here, common sense must pay what precept owes ; 
Trade-wind of life ! that ever steady blows : 116 

Safe in that track we boldly bend the sail, 
While hurricanes in higher climes prevail. 

From purer founts the youthful poet draws 
His inspiration in the Muses' cause ; 120 



cannot inoculate his taste, or transfuse his feelings. 
Whatever he values in himself he knows to be beyond 
the power of words to communicate; what he possesses 
he knows to have been obtained by self-effort, and 
to be attainable by no other means. The painter, like the 
poet, must instruct himself, by studying the works of those 
who have excelled in his art; by the accurate observation 
of nature, and the assiduous exercise of his faculties in 
every way conducive to invigorate his fancy, correct his 
judgment, and refine his taste. 

Line 119. From purer founts the youthful poet draws] — 
Besides the advantages possessed by the Poet, as contrasted 
with the Fainter, which have been already noticed in the 
first part of this work,' many others may be shewn to 
operate with equal effect in his favour. 

The young poet is at his outset introduced to the 
noblest productions of his art; his juvenile associations are 
influenced by a continual intercourse with the classics. He 



CANTO FIRST. , 1? 

Castalia's sons surround him as he sings, 
Prescribe his flights, and exercise his wings ; 
Before his eye in bright example rise, 
And hov'ring soar seductive to the skies. 



performs his exercises in the company of Virgil, of Horace, 
and of Homer, and the first exertions of his understanding 
are directed to comprehend their beauties, and to compose 
according to the models which they supply. The know- 
ledge which he derives from such sources is sound and 
appropriate to his views. He has nothing to unlearn, or 
unload in his progress. He is not left to wander in the 
darkness of ignorance, or to be deluded by the glimmerings 
of imbecility. The first light which he receives is of the 
purest ray, and the most permanent fire. 

The young painter, on the other hand, is commonly at- 
tracted to the pencil by objects, which, however they may 
serve to awaken his genius, are seldom fit to direct his taste. 
If he be not much more favourably circumstanced than gra- 
phic students in general, he has rarely an opportunity of con- 
sulting the classics of the language which he would learn. He 
finds no cheap editions of the painters published for his ac- 
commodation : no circulating library of taste from which to 
furnish his fancy with the treasures of antiquity: even the 
imperfect translations of the old masters which the graver 
supplies, are too expensive for his portfolio, and serve but 
to tantalize his eye by an occasional glimpse in the window 
of a print shop. His chief materials of study are the casts 

c 



18 ELEMENTS OF ART. 

Mseonia's treasures — Maro's diamond mine, 125 

Enrich the humblest votaries of the Nine ; 

Immortal Milton's golden stores expand, 

And Shakespeare's bullion, shines in every hand : 

Whate'er of bard, in age remote, or clime, 

Still sounds melodious in the ear of Time, 130 

The Poet finds, to aid his toil, and raise, 

In kindred breasts, the fires of ancient days. 

Not thus the Painter's early progress traced, 

— Laid down by high authorities of Taste ; 

Too oft remote from Art's establish'd stores, 135 

His path with guideless ardour he explores. 



of a drawing-school ; his only opportunities, an exhibition 3 
and an auction-room ; and while in the one he learns to 
imitate the defects of the living, in the other he is taught 
to venerate the errors of the dead. 

The best works of the ancient poets are known and ac- 
knowledged ; no base coin of imitation can circulate under 
their stamp : but the best works of the ancient painters 
bear no hall mark of authenticity to common observers, and 
the most clumsy forgeries are every day found to pass upon 
those who are less qualified to judge than anxious to admire. 
The young painter therefore, frequently exhausts half his 
course of study before he has clearly ascertained his object, 
»r formed a just idea of that perfection in his art which 



CANTO FIRST. 19 

Preceptive lights afford a feeble ray, 

And meteors flash delusive on his way. 

Nor Raphael's wonders wake his soul to fame ; 

Nor fires his breast at Buonarotti's flame : 140 



ought to be the guide of his industry, and the goal of his 
ambition. 

Line 137. Preceptive lights afford a feeble ray^\ — There 
are few subjects upon which so much has been said to so 
little purpose as on painting ; for there is no art in which 
the power of precept is more limited, and, if we except po- 
litics, there is no topic so much discussed that is so little 
understood. Although several artists, from the days of Da 
Vinci downwards, have communicated their ideas to the 
public, and numerous critics have poured forth in volumi- 
nous investigation the dictates of their taste, yet perhaps, 
there is no department of human knowledge in which so 
little aid is to be drawn from theory, or derived from books. 
To the writings of the professor, however, must the stu- 
dent apply for whatever useful information the channel 
of literature is calculated to afford ; for though it may be 
going too far, to insist with Pope, that only u those teach 
others who themselves excel," yet there is a value attached to 
the lessons of the practitioner, which the speculations of 
the mere theorist can never acquire. " One short essay," 
says Reynolds, u written by a painter, will contribute more 
to advance the theory of our art, than a thousand volumes 
such as we sometimes see, the purpose of which appears to 



20 ELEMENTS OF ART. 

Nor Claude's clear heav'n, nor Titian's sun-bright blaze, 
Nor mild Correggio's more attemper 'd rays, 
Diffuse their chearing influence o'er his hours, 
At once to ripen and refine his powers. 



be rather to display the refinement of the author's own 
conception of impossible practice, than to convey useful 
knowledge or instruction of any kind whatever." 

The realms of Taste are, indeed, peculiarly exposed to 
the inroads of vanity and presumption. In those airy re- 
gions the most callow understanding conceives itself equip- 
ped for flight. The dominions of the Muses are held to be 
a sort of free territory, where all plead nature's claim to 
commonage, and let loose their pretensions without fear of 
restriction or reproof. 

An acquaintance with pictures is commonly mistaken for 
a knowledge of art ; hence, many persons of learning and 
ingenuity labouring under this delusion, imagine that 
they must be critics, because they are collectors, and 
suppose themselves qualified to discuss the principles of 
painting without understanding even its rudiments. But 
every day's experience proves, that it is very possible, to 
have visited all the great cabinets of Europe, to have lived 
familiarly with the ablest artists, and to have collected gems, 
vases, and antiques, in all their virtuoso varieties, without 
having made any considerable proficiency in true Taste. Even 
the proudest attainment of critical ambition, that acme of 
accomplished connoisseurship — a knowledge of hands, may 



CANTO FIRST. 21 

The latent spark, whose flame to heav'n aspires, 145 
Some vulgar stroke of low collision fires. 
Perhaps, some time-worn hanging's faded pride 
The pencil's vig'rous impulse first supplied ; 



be acquired beyond the poring sagacity of a Picture-dealer, 
without producing a sound judgment in Art, or a sufficient 
knowledge of nature : as we may be able to distinguish 
accurately the hand-writing of different persons, and yet 
prove very incompetent judges of the sense which is in- 
tended to be conveyed. 

Poetry and music, though by no means free from the 
amorous hostilities of those half-learned dilettanti, are 
from their nature less vulnerable, or have been generally 
better defended. Poetry, in particular, has always found 
her ablest critics amongst her most favoured sons. Horace 
explained the principles of his art to the enlightened 
court of Augustus : amongst the moderns, Vida in 
Italy, Boileau in France, Roscommon, Dryden, Pope, 
and others, in this country, have taught by their pre- 
cepts, as well as their example, and disciplined the taste of 
their age by the tactics of truth and experience. They 
felt the necessity of refining the public judgment, and did 
not leave the task to the vitiating interference of officious 
pretenders ; they stepped forward boldly to enlighten the 
tribunal before which they were themselves to be tried, and 
rescued the interests of the Muse from the errors of igno- 



22 ELEMENTS OF ART. 

Or, yet more humbly touch'd, the spring of Taste, 
By holy tales on chimney-china traced : 150 

— Stiff ancestors, expell'd from pompous halls, 
The mildew'd ornaments of mould'ring walls. 



ranee on the one hand, and the perversion of pedantry on 
the other. 

Painting, in this respect, has not been so fortunate, 
and has found but little literary illustration within the 
pale of the profession. They who have best exempli- 
fied by the pencil, have not always been qualified to 
explain by the pen ; a few illustrious exceptions, how- 
ever, have sufficiently demonstrated the superiority of 
practical knowledge, and authorize us to believe, that 
if the painter were more frequently to assume the office 
of the critic, the public Taste in Art could not fail to 
experience considerable improvement. The student at least, 
would be warned from wandering in the ever puzzling maze 
of theoretical refinement, and spared the painful pursuit of 
those phantoms of distempered Taste, those i 6 unreal 
mockeries" of knowledge, which shrink on the slightest 
touch of inquiry, and crumble into dust. 

It must be confessed, however, that much of the inefficiency 
of precept, as applied to painting, results from the nature 
of the subject, as well as the incompetency of those who so 
inconsiderately discuss it. The systems of philosophy may 
be unfolded, the principles of science may be explained, 
and the deductions of reasoning pursued through all their 



CANTO FIRST, 23 

Some village Vandyke, haply, fires his eye, 

With Hawke, or Affleck flaring from on high ; 

St. George, triumphant o'er the prostrate foe, 155 

Or Marlborough, frowning on the field below. 



complications, with clearness and precision. But how 
shall we successfully communicate visual impressions by 
words ? In what language shall we express the varieties 
of form and colour ? the gradations of light and shade ? or 
who shall prescribe rules for the nameless graces of action, 
the nice discrimination of character, and the delicate diver- 
sities of passion and expression ? all that constitutes excel- 
lence, refuses to be taught or discussed. All that makes 
the mighty chasm between the cultivated genius and the 
drudging mechanic, lies far beyond the reach of precept or 
rule, in the regions of Feeling and Taste. 

Line 156. Or Marlborough^ frowning on the field below.~\ 
— An enthusiastic love for the Arts has frequently origi- 
nated in the accidental impression made by objects similar 
to those which are mentioned in the text. The disuse of 
M chimney-china," or Dutch tiles, however, in our fire- 
places, but more particularly, the state of neglect into 
whica those popular out-door pictures, called signs^ have 
lately fallen, must have lamentably diminished the influence 
of those cheap and convenient stimuli, and deprived of a 
seasonable resource the blighted hopes of the pencil. In 
the general decay of patriotism, as well as patronage, even 



24 ELEMENTS OF ART, 

Beyond his reach, Art's bright examples placed, 

In kinder climes diffuse the light of Taste ; 

At home, in churlish cabinets conceal'd, 

To virtuoso view alone reveal'd. 160 

Tho' stars of Art in constellations shine, 

The Painter rare enjoys the glow divine ; 

In cold eclipse his fruitful powers decay, 

While sterile pride still intercepts the ray. 



the publican no longer thinks of adorning his door with an 
image of the defenders of his country. Formerly, every 
Boniface had his favourite hero, who, with inspiring aspect, 
presided, like the lares of the ancients, over the interests of 
his house. But the warriors of the present day are rarely 
complimented with this species of signal celebrity, and the 
Blakes, the Afflecks, and the Marlboroughs, have Jied 
from their posts, without being replaced by the Nelsons, 
the Stewarts, and the St. Vincents. 

Line 164. While sterile pride still intercepts the ray.~\ — 
The reader will bear in mind, that this passage, and some 
others of similar import which occur in the subsequent parts 
of the work, were written long before the establishment 
of the British Institution, or the liberality of the Marquis 
of Stafford had furnished to the student an opportunity of 
examining some of the most valuable productions of his 
art. It is to be hoped, that through the influence of ex- 
amples so honourable, the complaints on this subject will 



CANTO FIRST. 25 

Thus, left to roam the graphic wild at will, 165 

As chance directs, or choice — more fatal still ; 
Tis, sure, no wonder, if unguarded youth, 
'Midst Error's windings, miss the tracks of Truth. 



every day become still more inapplicable ;* and that the fa- 
cilities of study afforded to the British artist in this way, 
will leave him but little room to regret his exclusion from 
the stores of the Continent, and allow of no excuse for 
inability, or bad taste. It should not be forgotten, how- 
ever, that Mr. Thomas Hope took the lead in offering to 
the public this desirable indulgence. The facility with 
which admission was obtained to view his magnificent 
establishment, and the assemblage of interesting objects 
which it contains, may be said to have given the first im- 
pulse to that liberality which has so materially contributed 
to our gratification and instruction. 

That part of the plan of the British Institution which 
offers to the student an opportunity, so much at his ease, 
to profit by the works of the old masters, is particularly 
entitled to commendation. It supplies a want which has 
long been felt ; and were no other benefit to be derived 
from that establishment, this advantage alone is sufficient 



* The splendid collection of Lord Grosvenor has lately 
been opened to public curiosity, and forms an important 
addition to those means of improvement which the artist 
owes to the growing liberality of the time. 



%6 ELEMENTS OF ART. 

E'en they who,, practised in the rites of Art, 
Should all the myst'ries of the Muse impart, 170 

Too oft the Student's eager zeal betray, 
And set up some gross idol in his way, 



to make its permanence and promotion of the greatest 
importance. Under the judicious regulations which have 
been lately adopted, the danger of creating a manufactory 
of copyists is no more to be apprehended ; and if the sub- 
jects hereafter placed in the Gallery for the purpose of 
study, should be selected with a prudent attention to the 
advancement of elevated art, the best results may be con- 
fidently anticipated. 

This consideration however, is of the greatest con- 
sequence, and cannot fail to attract the vigilant super- 
intendance of those who have shewn so laudable a desire 
to promote the best ends of the Institution : for, if 
works of inferior ability, or (though of the highest merit) 
of a description not calculated to excite a taste for the 
nobler exertions of the pencil, be presented to the young 
painter, as objects to claim his imitation, and influence the 
direction of his studies, the benefits that might otherwise be 
derived from so liberal a plan must be totally frustrated, 
and a new link added to the chain which already fetters to 
the earth the graphic Genius of the country. 

Actuated by this impression, the author cannot avoid ex- 
pressing a hope, that the selection of such works as are to be 
pointed out for imitation, by the excitement of a prize. 



CANTO FIRST. 27 

Some gaudy phantom conjured up by pride, 

O'er their peculiar system to preside. 

Each coxcomb still, important and precise, 175 

Consults his vanity in his advice ; 



may in future be influenced by a principle more particularly 
tending to the cultivation of historical art, and more adapted 
to counteract the operation of those causes which have so 
long obstructed our progress in true Taste. Though he is far 
from desiring to depreciate the merits of the Dutch school, 
and has a just respect for their peculiar excellence, jet he 
confesses, that the Taste of Batavia is a plant which he 
would not particularly cultivate. Where it spontaneously 
rises to the luxuriance of aTeniers or a Wilkie,* the author 
will be amongst the first to pay the proper tribute of admi- 
ration, but he would not foster it in a hotbed, or force it 
by a prize. To the subordinate classes of art the talents 
of our artists are already too much devoted ; the peculiar 
taste of the country has necessarily driven them into that 
direction ; but the great end of an establishment like the 



* It is hardly doing Mr. Wilkie justice, to class him 
altogether with the Dutch school ; for though he shoots 
with the same bow, his aim is evidently higher. In cha- 
racter he is their equal, in expression their superior. He 
produces as much truth, with more selection — has more re- 
finement of thought, more propriety of circumstance, and 
more sentiment in situation. 



28 ELEMENTS OF ART. 

A sly eulogium on himself conveys, 

And tortures precept to reflected praise. 

Timanthes thus, in whose confused design 

All colours glare — all crudities combine ; 180 

Whose forms inlaid in outline — flat and hard, 

Appear a progeny cut out of card ; 

A pasteboard breed, to nature quite unknown, 

And scarce legitimate to wood, or stone. 



British Institution, is not to co-operate with that Taste, 
but to correct it. The first object should be, to excite in 
the public mind a relish for the higher efforts of the pencil ; 
and to stimulate the abilities of the time, by honours and 
rewards, to the production of such works as assume a 
poetical and historical character, and exercise a moral in- 
fluence over the minds and manners of man. There is no 
need of allurements to the practice of portraits, landscapes, 
and familiar scenes ; these are commodities that suit the 
market, and though, when skilfully executed, their merits 
are seldom adequately appreciated, they cannot be said to 
be wholly unregarded. But, whatever stimulus the liber- 
ality of the day affords, should be applied to give a new 
impulse to our ambition, and a higher direction to our 
Taste ; from this great end no diversion should be al- 
lowed in favour of minor interests, for which its attain- 
ment will sufficiently provide. Set the main-spring of Art 
in motion, and the lesser wheels will turn of course. 



CANTO FIRST. 29 

Timanthes hear, each golden rule impart, 185 

That form'd his Manufactory of Art ; 
Like Hotspur's starling tutor'd he appears, 
And Outline, ever echoes in your ears. 



Strengthen and establish the great stock of Taste, and the 
invigorating influence will extend to its most distant rami- 
fications. 

The historical and poetical provinces of Art are those 
only which require or deserve particular cultivation ; they 
have been long waste lands in this country, their value un- 
der-rated, and their products neglected, or repressed ; it 
is now time for enlightened policy to enclose them, and not 
lavish our husbandry on tracts of inferior fertility. 

Line 186. That formed his Manufactory of Art;~\ — The 
evils resulting from unskilful teachers are conspicuous in 
all arts. Precepts and prescriptions do more harm than 
good, when injudiciously administered. The understand- 
ing suffers as much as the constitution, by improper treat- 
ment, and our genius, like our health, is often the victim 
of a quack, in cases where the faculties of the mind, and 
the powers of nature, require only to be left to their own 
operation. 

What is commonly called instruction, while it seems to 
expedite our progress, is too often an impediment in our 
way, by confining us to the pace, and incumbering us with 
the prejudices, of our guide. — In the Arts, a master is not 
so much a Mentor for our direction, as a model for our 



30 ELEMENTS OF ART. 

" Let not" (he cries) " the palette tempt your hand, 
L I ho' glittering all its gaudy stores expand ; 1Q0 

b< harlot hues from chaster beauties lure. 
• The dazzled sense, and drawing is the cure. 



imitation ; the lesson is not so impressive as the illustration 
— the comment supersedes the te^t. An ordinary painter, 
therefore, although a man of sense, and well grounded in 
the theory of his art, seldom proves a successful teacher ; 
for what he would establish by his precept he destroys 
by his example. He will in vain point out to others 
the road to excellence, while he himself travels another 
way. Even a good painter may be a bad instructor, if his 
integrity is not equal to his talents ; if he has not as much 
candour as genius ; if he is not conscious of his defects, and 
capable of acknowledging them — if he does not, in short, 
forget himself in his precepts, and sacrifice his pride to his 
pupil, and his art. 

The best painters do not possess all the merits of 
their profession ; they must necessarily have many defi- 
ciencies ; for, in a study so arduous and comprehensive, 
excellence in one part is perhaps, all that Genius can 
hope for, or industry accomplish. They often however, 
console themselves in their prejudices for the defect of 
their powers, they diligently depreciate what they cannot 
obtain, and endeavour to balance the account of their 
imperfections by over-rating their merits. 

The advocate of nature contemns the votary of the 



CANTO FIRST. 31 

" To drawing, therefore, dedicate your powers, 
" And give to chalk and charcoal all your hours !" 

Now, to Panaeus, should your zeal apply, — 195 
The draughtsman's toil 's superfluous in his eye; 



antique, and applauds truth of imitation, even in a common 
object, beyond the more general character of curious se- 
lection, and ideal grace. The colourist undervalues the 
draughtsman, and while he views with rapture the magical 
deformities of Rembrandt, turns with disdain from those 
examples of purity and correctness which characterise the 
tan-coloured creation of Poussin. Thus, through all the pro- 
vinces of Art, each stands proudly on his peculiar territory, 
with all the prejudices of a patriot, denying the claims of 
his neighbours, and loudly proclaiming his own. 

Embarrassed alike by the caprices of the artist and the 
connoisseur, the student finds them often at variance with 
themselves, and almost always with each other ; mistaking 
their prejudices for principles ; displaying their pictures as 
models of perfection, and delivering their opinions as apho- 
risms of Art. The mind must carry some ballast to sail 
steadily through these currents. It will be one judicious 
precaution, however, if we confide only in those who justify 
their maxims by the evidence of their merits: we may 
take every man as a guide in his proper path, but we 
should distrust him the moment he attempts to confine us 



32 ELEMENTS OF ART. 

In tone he triumphs— rich in surface shines, 

And models Nature, rather than designs, 

Unskill'd in feats of Academic lore, 

His hand at random runs the canvas o'er ; 200 

While plodding at his pencil's end he tries 

To catch what casualty of touch supplies. 

Through his dark mind his meaning works its way, 

As Satan groped through chaos into day; 

He loads, he labours, scratches, scumbles, scrapes, 

The crude conception takes a thousand shapes ; 206 

'Till piteous of his pains and perils past, 

Kind midwife Chance, delivers him at last ; 

While Plagiarism prepared at hand attends, 

To aid the birth, and all her plunder lends. 210 

Should he advise, " Let colouring claim your toil, 

" Like Rubens, pour the rapid sketch in oil ; 



there, or would endeavour to persuade us that it is the 
high road. 

Line 211. Should he advise, *•*• Let colouring claim your toil^\ 
— Between the opposite extremes here described, the au- 
thor recommends a middle course ; as most likely to em- 
brace the benefits of each practice, without incurring the 
disadvantages of either. The student who long employs 
himself exclusively in drawing, while he attains to correct- 
ness and precision, runs the risk of becoming hard and 



CANTO FIRST. 33 

u Tho' coxcombs still their Outline labours prize, 
w And bid a stony, cold creation rise, 
<s In dry Cartoons, the palette's praise resign, 215 
" And Nature's charms, to form alone confine ; 



dry ; accustomed to express objects by lines, the practice 
adheres to him after he has taken up the palette. He 
clings to his outline with affectionate solicitude, and as it 
is the part which he executes with most facility and skill, 
he is rarely induced to sacrifice it to those minor merits in 
his estimation — richness of colouring and rotundity of 
effect. On the other hand, the student who prosecutes his 
studies with the oil pencil only, is exposed to run into 
opposite and less pardonable errors. If he is mellow 
in his colouring, rich in his surface, and forcible in his 
effects, he becomes feeble in his composition, incorrect in 
his forms, and slovenly in his execution. If he be not 
hard and dry, he is probably vague, and undefined ; he 
loses all power of precision and detail, generalizes ob- 
jects in shapeless masses, and is obliged to resort to a va- 
riety of awkward expedients, to conceal the imbecility of 
his design, in the artifice of his execution. 

A plan of study, in which the Painter and the Draughts- 
man co-operate ; in which the pencil and the portcrayon 
may act as mutual correctives, offers perhaps, the best secu- 
rity for a style, which shall unite the beauties of colouring, 
to the merits of design ; and sustain the illusions of vigorous 
effect, by scientific precision and judicious detail. 

Of the defects which result from an exclusive devotion 
D 



54 ELEMENTS OF ART. 

t( Let Taste, and Truth, superior skill impart, 

u And Light, and Beauty, gild your glowing art." 

Urged to extremes, thus fond opinion sways, 
And, self-sedueed, the biass'd mind obeys ; £20 



to the powers of design, sufficient illustration is afforded by 
the general productions of the Roman School. The outline, 
even of Raphael himself, is too often conspicuous at the ex- 
pense of propriety and good taste. The celebrated picture 
of the Transfiguration, though it has many claims to be 
considered the finest production of the pencil existing, 
exhibits this imperfection in a very striking degree : 
a line is plainly discoverable round most of the figures, 
and particularly conspicuous in the boy, and the female 
kneeling in the front of the groupe. Julio Romano, who 
worked upon these two figures, is reported to have been, 
out of respect to his master, most scrupulously tenacious in 
preserving his outline. There is certainly, no room to re- 
gret the punctilious reverence of the scholar on this occa- 
sion ; for, though the obtrusion of the outline is evidently 
a defect, yet, perhaps, the picture would not have derived 
much improvement from Julio's mode of removing it. 

An impartial examination of this noble picture, must, on 
the whole, considerably raise our estimation of Raphael as 
a colourist. Its merits of the palette, indeed, cannot for a 
moment be put in competition with the wonders of the 
Venetian painters : but there are parts of it, which evince 



CANTO FIRST. 35 

While each secure in confidence, commends 
The system which his practice best defends. 

Euphranor hear ! whose tardy mind remains, 
Unmoved by Taste, in Imitation's chains : 
Who can't, though straining to his skill's extent, 225 
A form imagine, or a fold invent : 
Whose powers, like puppets, neither play nor spring, 
Till something set before him pulls the string : 
Whose pencil has no memory — whose art 
Has none of Nature's characters by heart ; 230 

But mars her meaning still as he proceeds, 
And stammers like a school-boy as he reads. 



no ordinary ability in this province of the Art; and some 
of the older heads display a richness and vigour of effect, 
which would do no discredit to that pre-eminent School. 

The superior merits of the Transfiguration, in design, cha- 
racter, and expression, are too well known and acknow- 
ledged, to require an illustration in this place ; but the 
dry and minute execution of the accessory and subordi- 
nate parts, is one of the most curious circumstances which 
strike a professional observer of this work. In these, the 
taste of Perugino is but too apparent : and it is impossi- 
ble not to feel surprise, that the mind which could rise to 
the noblest, and most comprehensive achievements of the 



36 ELEMENTS OF ART. 

The Painter's hand, Euphranor plainly proves, 

Safe, only in his model's presence moves : 

His Muse— his Layman ; copying — his part, 235 

The passive looking-glass of life— his Art ; 

Where, void of choice reflected, Nature views, 

In dull detail, discordant forms and hues. 

With him 'tis vain, delusive toil, to trace 

Th' ideal beauty, or imagined grace ; 240 

" 'Tis leaving truth, (he cries) neglecting day, 

te To chase a phantom by fallacious ray : 



Art, could, at the same time, descend to the pursuit of the 
most trivial and injudicious details. The landscape is 
painted with the laborious littleness of a print ; and the 
herbage in the foreground wrought with such solicitous 
accuracy of flower and leaf, as to challenge the painful 
fidelity of Paul Potter, and furnish a treat to the botanist. 
Notwithstanding that this " last best gift" of Raphael's 
pencil is doomed to grace the triumph of our adversary, 
it cannot but be pleasing to the lovers of Art, to reflect, 
that it appears to be in excellent preservation : it does not 
seem to have suffered in the regenerative process of the 
picture-cleaner ; and some unimportant injuries of time 
and accident, have been repaired with a degree of care 
and skill, which is highly creditable to those to whom 
this duty was entrusted. 



CANTO FIRST. 37 

a In voice profane, tho' pedant fools deride, 

ft Nature is still our goddess, and our guide : 

" Wise in her worship — wealthy in her store, 245 

" Our duty, not to cavil, but adore. 

" Hold then this maxim firmly to your heart, 

" To copy Nature is the end of Art." — 

Roused at the sound, lo ! traveled Torso cries, 

While indignation flashes from his eyes; 250 

" To copy Nature ! Precept vain and weak ! 

" Can vulgar Nature vie with the Antique ? 

" Can models CulPd from Drury,or Rag-fair, 

" Rival the Medici, or Belvedere? 



Line 252. Can vulgar Nature vie with the Antique?^ — As 
the young painter is from his outset peculiarly exposed 
to be tossed to and fro, in this conflict of opposing opi- 
nions, he cannot begin too early, to use his own judgment, 
and exercise the faculty of reflection. He must soon think 
for himself, or he will study to very little purpose. Re- 
flection indeed, is an operation of the mind, which appears 
to be very unaccountably neglected, in the present system 
of intellectual cultivation. The art of thinking, which is 
the most important of all acquirements, seems wholly un- 
attended to, in the overwhelming mass of elementary 
accomplishment. When we consider, how little the pro- 
duction of excellence in the present day appears to keep 



38 ELEMENTS OF ART. 

u Let patient Dulness prosper by such rules, 255 

u In Dutch Academies, and German Schools ! 
" Where plodding Art a low mechanic creeps, 
" And fetter'd Fancy drops her wing and weeps : 



pace with the opportunities, the powers, and the preva- 
lence of instruction, it almost warrants a doubt, whether 
we are not over-taught in most arts ; whether the vegeta- 
tion may not be choked by the manure. The tendency 
of modern education, is, perhaps, more to encumber than 
to cultivate the soil : to make a granary, rather than a 
garden. 

We reverse the system of Rousseau ; he would have the 
pupil to do every thing himself — we will not allow him to 
do any thing. He would consult, and call forth the natural 
growth of the understanding — we seem to consider it as 
barren, and till, and sow, and plant incessantly, to coun- 
teract its sterility, without waiting for a crop. 
" We ply the memory, we load the brain, 
46 Bind rebel wit, and double chain on chain, 
" Confine the thought to exercise the breath, 
66 And keep them in the pale of words till death." 

Pope. 
We may be said to play our parts like actors, and strut 
upon the stage of science, uttering knowledge not our own. 
The ideas of others are so forced upon us from our cradle, 
that our minds become crammed beyond the power of di- 
gestion : our faculties lie oppressed and inactive, beneath 



CANTO FIRST. 39 

u Where mountebanks the Graphic stage ascend, 
a To act the apes of Nature, and offend : 260 

" To shew her antick tricks — her shapes uncouth, 
u And call the burlesque exhibition — Truth. 



the load of erudition, and our genius dies of a plethora 
even in its prime. 

Thus it is, that they who instruct themselves, often 
make the greatest proficiency in real knowledge ; for they 
reflect more than those who are instructed by others. By 
knowing what others have thought, we may become 
learned, but to become wise we must think, ourselves. 
Though erudition is the aliment of the understanding, yet 
reflection is its exercise ; and the one is not more essential 
to health than the other. Reflection is the grand process 
of mind carried on by superior capacities, which distils 
from the raw materials of knowledge the purest spirit of 
science and of truth. To be always learning, seems as 
absurd as to be always feeding : there is a gluttony of the 
moral, as well as of the physical appetite ; and a m ere scholar 
is an intellectual gourmand, who, in the drowsy sensuality 
of erudition, forgets that as the end of eating is to invigo- 
rate the body for action, so the use of learning is to pro- 
mote the exertion of the mind. 

. Cseteros pudeat, si qui ita se Uteris abdiderunt, 

ut nihil possint ex his neque ad communem afferre fructum, 
neque in adspectum lucemque proferre. Cic. pro Arch. 

The ascendancy of learning over knowledge, in modern 



40 ELEMENTS OF ART. 

« Such truths are libels, tried by Taste and Sense, 
" The more the truth, the greater the offence. 
" What ! shall the Muse, that famed Urbino fired, 
" And Buonaroti's bolder soul inspired, 0,66 



times, appears but little favourable to the rational improve- 
ment of the human faculties : words have superceded ideas 
in our minds : 

" Words are man's province, words we teach alone." 

Pope. 
The scholar takes precedence of the sage ; and in the arro- 
gance of academic estimation, a Socrates, who, like the an- 
cient philosopher, knew only the vulgar tongue, would rank 
as an ignoramus. The pedant erects an altar, at which we 
all offer incense to the idol erudition : The worship 
spreads through the inquisition of criticism : few have the 
courage to question a faith at once so fashionable and for- 
midable ; and every school is a church that preaches the 
religion of learning. 

Wincklemann, who, whatever may be thought of him as 
a connoisseur, had at least the reputation of a scholar, 
treating of the causes which conspired to enable the Greeks 
lo excel in the Arts, observes, " On chercha tard a etre 
erudite, c'est-a- dire, a savoir ce que d'autres ont su. Devant 
les beaux siecles de la Grece il etoit facile d'etre savant, 
dans Ie sens qu'on attache aujour-d'hui a ce mot, et chacun 
pouvoit acquerir la sagesse. II y avoit alors dans le monde 



CANTO FIRST. 41 

" Descend where vulgar Imitation toils 

" O'er drolls indecorous, and boors in broils ? 

" Plod at the mercv of her model still, 

il And prove in foul fac-simile her skill ? £70 

" Let higher objects, nobler views invite 

" The Graphic pinion, and provoke its flight ! 

" Lo ! where enshrined on Tiber's classic shore, 

" While crowds without idolatry adore ; 

une vanite du moins, celle de connoitre beaucoup de 
livres." 

Learning, as the channel through which flows the know- 
ledge of the ancients, must ever have a just claim to our 
attention and respect. To observe their sentiments in 
their original dress ; to take their words, as it were, from 
their own mouths ; will always be a laudable gratification, 
as well as an useful exercise of Taste ; although, from the 
agency of translation, it may have ceased to be a necessity 
of Science. But, when an acquaintance with the languages 
of the ancients is considered the end of our ambition in- 
stead of the means of our information; when we pride 
ourselves more on a knowledge of their words, than their 
wisdom ; and elevate the barren stores of inert erudition 
above the fruitful acquirements of active science and philo. 
sophy ; we may justly be said to labour under the influence 
of literary superstition, and sacrifice to the prejudices of pe- 
dantry the interests of genius, and the dignity of knowledge. 



42 ELEMENTS OF ART. 

" The Gods of Greece, their heathen heav'n forego, 

" To shine the Deities of Taste below. 276 

" There, pay your homage ! there, devote your heart ! 

u And vow fidelity to ancient Art ! 

" On Attic wings alone, attempt the skies, 

<l Nor look at Nature but through Grecian eyes." — 

Thus Torso teaches, and his works have shown 281 
That no man studies Nature more — in stone, 
With patient zeal delighted still to trace 
Her sculptured character, and marble face. 
While true— to Art, the wondering critic owns, 285 
His forms are statues, and his flesh is bronze ! 
A firm believer, travell'd Torso took 
His faith on trust, nor look'd at Nature's book ; 
The pure Antique — his creed in every part, 
The Ancients — his evangelists of Art ; 290 

Their works the gospel of his Taste receives, 
And Rome's infallibility believes. 

Thus, sects in Art, as well as Faith, are found, 
And bigots, even in Virtu abound : 
Blockheads in parties hide their want of sense, 295 
And strut in corporative consequence. 



CANTO FIRST. 43 

O'er such let Reason still ascendant sway, 
Nor with a blind credulity obey. 
Exclusive creeds are but by fools embraced, 
Free-thinking is philosophy in Taste. 300 



Line 300. Free-thinking is philosophy in Taste."] — The 
professed votaries of Virtu will, perhaps, consider this, a 
licentious sentiment : and may be disposed, in this place, 
and in some other passages of his work, where similar opi- 
nions are advanced, to look upon the Author as a kind of 
factious innovator, Mho would disturb the calm of criticism, 
and shake the foundations of authority. Locke observes, 
that M innovation is a terrible charge amongst those who 
judge of men's heads, as they do of their perukes, by the 
fashion ;" but notwithstanding the risk of this formidable 
imputation, the Author, since he has presumed to raise his 
voice amongst 

u The clamorous crowd that claim the public ear," 
prefers the candid declaration of his own sentiments (such as 
they are) to the politic profession of opinions more pre- 
valent ; and the adoption of which might secure to him the 
reputation of Taste, without the trouble of thinking, or 
the necessity of knowledge. 

In advocating the freedom of Taste, he conceives, that he 
only asserts one of the intellectual rights of mankind, which 
can never be denied but by prejudice, or surrendered but 
by weakness. He acknowledges himself to be one of those, 
who lament the long and general influence of precedent 



44 ELEMENTS OF ART. 

But chief, distrust their vain preceptive dreams, 
Whose partial maxims recommend extremes; 



in Literature and the Arts : he would see with pleasure 
every poet invested with the privileges of Homer, and 
every painter as unshackled as Apelles ; for intellectual 
freedom is as essential to the production of great works, as 
political freedom to the performance of great actions. He 
knows of no good reason, why the ancients should be suf- 
fered to set the fashions of our understandings ; why we 
should continue to dress our heads in the glass of our an- 
cestors, and fancy we possess their powers, when we have 
put on their airs. He cannot, therefore, applaud with 
Pope, the poetical humility of the u Mantuan Muse ;" he 
finds himself irresistibly tempted to regret, that u young 
Maro" did not persist to think himself 

u above the Critic's law, 

u And but from Nature's fountain scorn to draw." 
Had he not unluckily discovered that u Nature and Homer 
were the same," instead of a servile imitation of the 
Maeonian Bard, he might have given the world an original 
work ; and furnished a precedent of intellectual indepen- 
dence, which would have been more useful to his Parnassian 
posterity, than even the brilliant example of his genius. 

How must the vanity of erudition have deranged the 
operation of common sense, in a late eminent scholar ! * 



* Wharton — Essay on the Genius of Pope. 



CANTO FIRST. 45 

For some loved part, who o'erleap every fence, 
And madly rush beyond the bounds of sense. 



when he could deliberately declare, that u to attempt to 
understand poetry without haying diligently digested the 
Poetics of Aristotle, would be as absurd and impossible, as 
to pretend to a skill in geometry, without having studied 
Euclid."* 

It would have produced a sort of climax of classical uti- 
lity and didactic importance, if he had also, represented the 
Georgics of Virgil as essential to a knowledge of agricul- 
ture : if he had declared, that no man could become an 
orator without having studied Cicero and Quintilian ; or a 
painter, without digesting the graphical wonders of Pliny 
and Pausanias. 

The Author hopes, that a smile at pedantry will not be 
considered as a sneer at learning. He is not ambitious of 
being classed amongst those who would exclude the study 
of Greek and Latin from the ordinary course of liberal 
education ; and who think it not only a point of propriety, 



* This most extraordinary passage has been quoted 
in the u Analytical Inquiry into the Principles of Taste, by 
Mr. Knight," a work, in which the present writer (though 
he cannot coincide in all the opinions of its learned Author) 
conceives that the cause of intellectual liberty has been cou- 
rageously maintained, and the advocates of regular system, 
and dogmatic criticism in Literature and the Arts, opposed 
with manly sense, acute argument, and forcible illustration. 



46 ELEMENTS OF ART. 

Examine first, where Truth and Taste decree, 305 
What Nature is, what Painting ought to be. 



but almost a principle of patriotism, for an Englishman to 
understand no language but his own. 

Although the smattering of classic lore which he can 
boast, gives him no claim to the credit of a scholar ; it is 
sufficient to impress him with a just respect for that cha- 
racter, when uninflated by pedantic pride. He cannot 
be truly desirous of enriching his understanding with the 
wealth of the ancients, who does not wish to receive it in 
their own money ; undebased by time, and undiminished in 
value by exchange. It is however, necessary to distinguish 
between the metal of thought, and the stamp of expression ; 
nor should we become such literary antiquarians, as to 
estimate the curious coin of erudition above the useful 
currency of science. 

Line 306. What Nature is, what Painting ought to be.} — 
Vague terms are alike the reproach of language, and the 
puzzle of science. They natter us with the substance, 
while they cheat us with the shadow of meaning. They 
are a false coin of expression in common use, which em- 
barrasses the intercourse of mind, and obstructs the circu- 
lation of knowledge. Reason, nature, beauty, truth, are 
words which, in most minds, bear different meanings, and in 
many minds no meaning at all : we use them however, as 
expressive of the most determinate ideas, and expect that 



CANTO FIRST. 47 

Pursue the stream where'er this knowledge flows, 
Nor let your zeal in prejudice repose. 



others will understand us without even understanding our- 
selves. 

In Science, in Philosophy, and in Taste, we are so 
impeded by this verbal inaccuracy, that we can scarcely 
proceed a step without coming to a definition, and defini- 
tions are the cross-roads of argument, where intellectual 
travellers commonly separate, or turn off in a new direc- 
tion. Thus, the word Nature, particularly as applied to 
painting, is employed in a sense so loose and general, as to 
occasion great confusion in our ideas, and contradiction in 
our language. It is perhaps not easy, to fix a precise mean- 
ing to a term so comprehensive ; or to limit its signification 
so exactly to our purpose, as to preclude the danger of 
misconception But it behoves the Painter and the Poet, 
at least, to try if they cannot settle its purport in their 
language, with sufficient accuracy, and regulate its use 
with due discretion. 

Some artists talk of Nature with enthusiasm, and yet 
appear to have no higher ideas of her beauty, than those 
which are supplied by ordinary forms, and accidental com- 
binations. Others speak of Nature with contempt, and 
consider that term as synonymous with meanness, awkward- 
ness, and deformity. 

The dull and servile imitator, who has neither imagi- 
nation to create, nor judgment to select, plods on in vulgar 



ELEMENTS OF ART. 



Try rule by rule, by no fond system led, 

And 'gainst the living dogma — raise the dead. 310 



confidence, and dignifies his tasteless toils, by the appella- 
tion of Nature ; while the affected votary of ideal perfec- 
tion, exulting in whim and extravagance, looks down with 
contempt on the drudgery of imitation, and flatters his 
imbecility, by calling that poetry, which has no pretensions 
to be considered as painting. Common observers admire 
the representation of common objects, and think that natural 
which is obvious and familiar. Connoisseurs and Painters, 
too often transfer to Art the homage which is due to Na- 
ture ; and having learned to discover her defects, lose sight 
of her perfections. 

Nature, properly understood, is the only legitimate object 
of the Painter ; 

u At once the source, the end, and test of Art." Pope. 
But what is Nature ? all that attracts or repels — delights, 
or disgusts — dignifies or degrades, lays claim indiscrimi- 
nately to that character. Where, in the endless diversity of 
her objects, the boundless variety of her forms, shall we 
find the model which we should imitate, or fix the standard 
to which we should refer ? to ascertain this, is the business 
of study and observation, directed by Genius and Taste. 
To this end also, the labours of our predecessors afford a 
very material assistance ; and so long as we do not make 
them a substitute for Nature, they contribute to open our 
eyes to her perfections, and £lace them more easily within 



CANTO FIRST. 49 



Unfix'd in view, the fluctuating mind; 
At random roving, veers with every wind ; 



the grasp of our attainment. To Nature still, we must look 
through the productions of our masters, and consider even 
the best works of antiquity, but as telescopes of Taste, to 
mend our vision, not to bound our view. 

In this way, Art may be said to officiate as the minister 
of Nature, to lead us to her temple, and expound to us her 
law. We must take care, however, not to forget the divi- 
nity in our devotions, and turn from the shrine to worship 
the priest. 

Though nothing can be proper in painting, that is not 
natural, yet every thing that is natural may not be proper. 
Nature, as exhibited in the Arts, must be either positive, 
or relative — arbitrary, or appropriate : the former may be 
attained by imitation alone ; but the latter requires selection 
as well as imitation, and demands judgment in the choice, 
as well as skill in the execution. A Venus from the pencil 
of Rembrandt although a very natural and faithful portrait 
of the Dutch vrow who happened to be his model ; would 
be a very absurd and. inconsistent representation of the 
Queen of Loves and Graces. It is not natural to give to 
a philosopher the expression of a fool, or to paint a monarch 
with the air of a mechanic. 

Nature, to the Painter and the Poet, is that which is appro- 
priate to their subject, consistent with their characters, and 
suitable to their scene. Their business lies with her essen- 

E 



50 ELEMENTS OF ART* 

When skill'd in all its bearings, we explore 
The distant port that tempts us from the shore, 



tial principles, not with her accidental circumstances. To 
discover those principles is their duty ; to display them — 
their art. Without them, their happiest efforts are but 
lucky hits — chance-medley felicities : their events are casu- 
alties — their characters arbitrary, inconsistent, or absurd. 

Let us not flatter ourselves, that we imitate Nature, 
when, having taken a model from the streets, we tamely 
copy his peculiarities in the person of a hero, or a sage. 
In proportion as the portrait is faithful, the character will 
be false, and the skill of our execution but the more con- 
spicuously expose the defect of our judgment. 

The general principles upon which Nature operates in 
all her works, are founded in truth, beauty, proportion, 
fitness, variety, and grace. These are her essential quali- 
ties : possessed in a fulness of perfection, to which Art can 
never attain. She is therefore, to be considered as our only 
infallible guide to excellence, and must always be entitled 
to the zealous admiration of unperverted feeling and pure 
Taste. All her parts are adapted to her purposes with the 
nicest proportion ; her actions directed to their ends by 
the simplest means. When she smiles unforced, her looks 
are Beauty ; when she speaks untutored, her words are 
Truth ; when she moves unmolested, her action is Grace. 
She is the ever-living spring, from which flow all the 
streams of excellence in human arts. To the homage of 



CANTO FIRST. 51 

Diverting currents cross our track in vain, 315 

We know our course, and quick return again. 



the Poet and the Painter, she has peculiar claims, for to 
them she more openly displays her miracles, and appears 
in all her splendours. If they desert her altars, or set up 
idols in her shrine, they justly suffer the penalty of their 
apostacy ; they are cast out a prey to all the fiends of 
criticism, and for ever excluded from the world to come in 
fame. 

In Poetry, as well as in Painting, there appears at pre- 
sent a disposition to persuade us, that nothing is natural or 
simple, but that which describes common life, and common 
manners. The lower orders of society are represented as 
the depositaries of every thing that is innocent and amiable ; 
and even their manners and language recommended as the 
most rational objects of interest, and the purest models of 
imitation. With the apostles of this creed, every thing 
that is refined is sophisticated ; every thing that is ele- 
gant is artificial. Whatever is elevated above the character 
of ordinary forms, or the familiarity of every-day inter- 
course, is out of the pale of their sensibility, and a depar- 
ture from simplicity and truth. But this surely, is a doc- 
trine as delusive in principle, as it appears sometimes 
ridiculous in practice. Nature is no more the possession 
of the poor, than the rich — no more the characteristic 
of the inhabitant of the country, than the inhabitant of 
the town. She suffers as much from vulgarity as affec- 



52 ELEMENTS OF ART. 

Ply then, the bright portcrayon, till you find 
Correctness with facility combined: 



tation, and a clown may be an animal as artificial as a cour- 
tier. If, in the one, the qualities of Nature are sometimes 
perverted and misapplied, in the other they are always op- 
pressed and degraded. 

There is an education of habits and circumstances, as 
well as of Schools and Academies — an education the more 
impressive, in proportion as the instructors are more arbi- 
trary, and their lessons more severe. Our passions are pro- 
fessors in the great seminary of the world, that teach alike in 
the town and the country, the college and the cot. A course 
of poverty and hard labour is not more favourable to the 
human faculties and feelings, than a course of philosophy 
and belles lettres ; and the ale-house and the fair may be 
as fatal to simplicity, as the drawing-room or the exchange. 
Lord Chesterfield observes, that w two farmers will prac- 
tise as much duplicity to over-reach each other at a market, 
as two politicians in a negotiation ;" a rustic may be as 
deficient in probity as politeness. The genuine sentiments 
of Nature (to use an expression more common than clear) 
may be lost in the commerce of the vulgar, as well as the 
intercourse of the refined ; and grossness is not quite so 
good a substitute for them as decorum. A country justice, 
if he be not a poet, will tell us, that clowns and courtiers 
are not so remote from each other in their morals, as their 
manners ; that the former pursue their interests with as 



CANTO FIRST. 53 

Till the firm Outline flows at your command, 

And forms become familiar to your hand. 320 

Nor idly fear, should youthful ardour fire, 

To seize the palette, and in oil aspire. 



much zeal, and as little scruple as the latter, though cer- 
tainly, with more rudeness and less skill. 

The habits and occupations of the laborious classes of 
society, are indeed, as little favourable to their minds as 
their bodies. Their feelings and their forms are alike 
affected by their circumstances, and he must be a very 
romantic observer, who does not discover in both, a coarse- 
ness incompatible with sensibility or beauty. 

It may suit the purposes of Utopian theorists, and poe- 
tical philosophers, to represent the country as an Arcadia, 
and every clown a Corydon ; to make every hamlet the 
abode of happiness and peace, and describe its inhabitants 
as the purest models of beauty and virtue : but a little ex- 
perience quickly dissipates these delusions. A peep into 
this paradise of enthusiasts, discovers the serpent, even 
there, lurking amidst the flowers. We soon find that 
vice can pervade the cottage as well as the palace, and that 
it is very possible to be ignorant and awkward, without 
being innocent or picturesque. 

Line 321. Nor idly fear, should youthful ardour fire ,] — If 
it were not the business of precept to deliver only such opi- 
nions as are just and true, without reference to local or 
temporary circumstances, the relative importance of draw- 



54 ELEMENTS OF ART. 

The pencil plunge in Nature's richest dyes, 

And glowing bid the gay Creation rise. 

Design, the grammar of the Muse, may claim 325 

High rank amidst the rudiments of Fame ; 



ing, might, with peculiar propriety, be more highly esti- 
mated, and more strongly insisted upon in the present state 
of the English School. It must be confessed, that correct- 
ness of design is not the most prominent characteristic of 
British Art. Devoted to the merits of colouring, chiaro- 
oscuro, and style, in which our painters are at present un- 
rivalled, we quietly give up the palm of Academical supe- 
riority to our competitors, and seem by no means aware of 
the importance of the concession. Some of our greatest 
painters have acknowledged, and indeed exemplified, their 
want of Academical skill : Reynolds laments in his Dis- 
courses, this defect in his education as an Artist ; and 
though the vigour of his unrivalled pencil, in the other parts 
of his art, counterbalanced its weakness in this respect, 
yet, he himself was fully sensible of the inconvenience 
which resulted from it, and has warned us in his precepts 
as well as his example. The fault which even his splen- 
dours could not wholly conceal or excuse, must be as 
conspicuous as unpardonable in minor powers. It does 
not appear however, that we are advancing to a purer 
taste of design ; or that we exert ourselves sufficiently, to 
supply what we want of his excellence, by those merits 
which are perhaps, more within our reach ; and unless 



CANTO FIRST. 55 

But still the pencil plays the nobler part, 

For painting is the language of your art. 

Congenial studies blend without abuse, 

And, pleased, to mutual benefit conduce ; 330 



measures be adopted to give a new impulse to the studies 
of the pupils who attend in our great school of Art : 
there is reason to apprehend, that the rising race of artists 
may degenerate from the present, as well as the past, and 
exhibit the defects without the merits of their predecessors. 
The prevalence of portrait painting appears to have con- 
siderable influence in producing this general inattention to 
the merits of design ; the great expense also, which attends 
the most economical establishment, co-operates powerfully 
to the same effect. There is no study which requires a 
longer period of application, unproductive in a pecuniary 
view, than that of painting ; and there are perhaps, no 
students worse prepared to encounter such a course than 
those who usually undertake it. The young votary of 
Taste has commonly more genius than money ; hence he is 
obliged to pursue the trade, before he has had time to ac- 
quire the art of painting, and to commence business with- 
out capital or credit : 

" Gestit enim nummum in loculos demittere." 
The power of taking a likeness once attained, the young 
Painter sets up for himself, and carries on the manufactory 
of faces without much inconvenience from his academical 
deficiencies : but, when the spring of his ambition, at length 



56 ELEMENTS OF ART. 

Associate, best attain their several ends, 

And artful hide each others faults, like friends. 

To form your Taste, and educate your eye, 
In Beauty's School, to polish'd Greece apply. 



relieved from the pressure of necessity, impels him to 
nobler efforts, he finds too late, that he has neglected the 
only means which would have enabled him to exercise his 
fancy, or establish his fame. 

The French Painter remains longer in the Academy ; 
and consequently, becomes more skilled in those parts of 
his art which are to be acquired there. He has more re- 
spect for the merits of design, and therefore studies them 
with more attention. He finds but little opportunity, or 
temptation to turn his talents to portrait painting, and 
from his habits and situation, has less occasion to resort to 
it as a means of subsistence. All his prospects therefore, 
are essentially dependant on his elementary knowledge, 
and demand a continued course of academical application. 
His pencil is commonly employed in works of imagination ; 
on subjects of Poetry and History ; in which deformity 
cannot be sanctioned by fashion, nor incorrectness excused 
by caprice : in which the tailor cannot officiate in aid of 
the anatomist ; nor imbecility take shelter from the critic, 
under cover of a coat and waistcoat. He must, in short, 
draw the figure well, or he can do nothing. 

In the French School therefore, the portcrayon super- 



CANTO FIRST. 57 

Like Moses, erst on Sinai's summit placed, 335 

Her favour'd hand received the laws of Taste, 
With holy zeal fulfill'd the trust assign'd, 
And broke the barbarous idols of mankind. 



cedes the pen cil ; they become designers rather than painters. 
In the English School the pencil triumphs, and the process 
is reversed. They are more theoretical — we are more prac- 
tical; they shew more science in the foundation — we 
more skill in the superstructure ; the vigour of their design 
is impaired by the feebleness of their execution — the vigoup 
of our execution suffers in the feebleness of our design : 
they have more Art — we have more Nature; they look to 
the Roman School — we follow the Venetian; and it must 
be confessed, that their aim is the higher, though it may be 
admitted that our's is the more successful. 

The practice of portrait painting however, though it 
tends to divert our artists from the nobler pursuit of 
History, is not unproductive of advantage. If it is unfa- 
vourable to purity of design, it is the best school of colour- 
ing. The continual intercourse with Nature, which it 
occasions, produces a power and truth of imitation, a rich- 
ness, vigour, and variety of execution, which are rarely 
attained by any other means. What the portrait painter 
can do, he generally does better than any other artist. 
The necessity of giving interest to a single figure, compels 
him to a punctilious accuracy, and refinement of effect, sel- 
dom displayed in larger compositions. He supplies by his 



&8 ELEMENTS OF ART. 

She, first the powers of just proportion found, 

And scatter'd parts in beauteous union bound ; 340 

Assembled kindred sweets from every clime, 

And form'd a standard for admiring Time. 

As mountain summits still the ray retain, 

When light declining, quits the darkened plain, 

So, in her Arts, those altitudes of mind, 345 

That tower above the level of mankind, 

Benighted Greece still shews the beam sublime, 

The Sun of Glory shed upon her prime. 

Successive ages consecrate her skill, 

Attest her Taste, and hold it sacred still : 350 

Though lost her sceptre, yet her learning sways, 

Her Arts still dictate, and the world obeys. 

O ! triumph truly great ! to rule the mind, 

And hold Wit's mild dominion o'er mankind ! 

Be yours the task, with faithful hand to trace 355 
Her forms of symmetry—- her turns of grace ; 
To mark on what depend those powers divine, 
That rule unrivallM in her pure design ; 



execution the defect of his materials ; and often invests vul- 
garity and deformity with a charm, which makes us forget 
the imperfections of the subject in the art with which it is 
represented. 



CANTO FIRST. 5Q 

Pursue her protean skill from part to part, 

And seize her subtlest principles of Art. S60 

Yet not on Sculpture lavish all your care, 
Your labour let the living model share; 

Line 360. And seize her subtlest principles of Art. ~] — 
The most superficial observer must be struck with that 
simplicity without insipidity, that similiarity without same- 
ness, which appear in the productions of the Greeks. A 
kind of family likeness maj r be said to pervade the whole 
of their works, which, while it preserves and displays the 
common character of their Art, at the same time admits and 
exemplifies every variety of form, feature, and expression, 
that is necessary to mark with the most delicate discrimina- 
tion, the distinctive shades of real or imaginary beings. 
Whatever the subject, there is nothing capricious, arbitrary, 
or accidental in their mode of treating it. All is the result 
of measured propriety, of ascertained truth, and settled 
principle. 

The maxims of their taste seem to have obtained the con- 
sistency of a code, and to have been established by general 
convention ; for however varied their productions, in beau- 
ty, character, and expression, they all appear to be executed 
in the same style : their artists seem all to have worked 
by the same light, and to have been guided by principles 
which regulated even the caprices of Fancy, and conducted 
Sensibility to Science. Always seeking the perfection of 



60 ELEMENTS OF ART. 

A due proportion of discerning toil 

Devote to each, and reap a double spoil. 

The Statue's stiffness oft his style betrays, 365 

Whose studies Sculpture still exclusive sways; 

Correctly cold, and diligently dry, 

Nor muscle seems to move, nor limb to ply ; 

While sapless shapes their marble models own, 

And born of Sculpture, rise — a race of stone. 370 



every quality and characteristic of the subject which they 
proposed to represent, they preserved and aggrandized the 
general and essential forms — suppressed or diminished the 
particular, and unimportant : they subjected the impetuosity 
of genius to the discipline of industry, and purified taste 
by reflection and philosophy. 

Line 369. While sapless shapes their marble models own,~] — 
In the present state of painting in this country, there is no 
particular tendency to the defect here noticed : the current 
runs another way, and there appears more occasion to re- 
commend to the student an encreased attention to ancient 
sculpture, than to warn him against the abuse which re- 
sults from an exclusive application to it. If the produc- 
tions of the British School are not characterised by the 
defects, neither are they conspicuous for the merits which 
may be derived from statues ; and the warmest advocate for 
that which is usually called Nature, may admit, that a higher 
relish of the antique could not fail to give an agreeable zest 



CANTO FIRST. 6l 



The ease and pliancy of life demand 

A bolder stroke, and liberate your hand ; 



to compositions which are otherwise rich in every ingredi- 
ent of good Taste. 

The kind of encouragement (if such a word can be used 
on the occasion) which has been given to our Arts, and the 
general insensibility of the public to the chaster beauties of 
form and character, have tended much to produce this 
culpable neglect of the models of antiquity. Local preju- 
dices of Taste resulting from the influence of extraordinary 
powers, have also operated to the same effect ; and the 
Author fears, that the course of study pursued in the Royal 
Academy, is not directed with sufficient vigour to counter- 
act the evil. The Students of that establishment are per- 
haps, not enough impressed with the importance of a study, 
the traces of which do not appear to be particularly strik- 
ing in the productions of those to whom they must look as 
their guide and example. Our practice militates against 
our precept, and we cannot reasonably expect them to 
persist long in a track, which they must perceive to be 
pursued generally with little ardour or ambition. 

To be allowed to draw from the living figure therefore, is 
the great ambition of the Student, and the Antique-room is 
considered only as a passage to the Model Academy. Once 
admitted there, he rarely returns to contemplate the beau- 
ties of the ancients, and after he has obtained a medal for 
a very ordinary effort of his industry, he most commonly 



62 ELEMENTS OF ART. 

The coldest touch, the living model warms, 
To catch correct, his fluctuating forms; 



absents himself from both. The influence and instruction 
of the present able Keeper (Mr. Fuzeli) has certainly 
tended to promote a more diligent cultivation of the an. 
tique, and to excite amongst the pupils a juster impression 
of its utility. It is to be hoped, that the Academy will 
zealously second his endeavours, and by prudent regulation, 
increase the stimulus in that part of their system which is 
the most relaxed in its operation, and perhaps, the most 
important in its functions. 

The institution of an annual prize for the best drawings 
from the antique, could not fail to give an interest to this 
branch of study ; and by placing it on an equality with other 
objects of their pursuit, not more necessary to their im- 
provement, would afford to the Students a most convincing 
proof that the Academy has a high sense of its importance, 
and a proper zeal for its promotion. 

The Author would also take the liberty of suggesting 
the expediency of adding to the present establishment, a 
Professor of Sculpture : in the first place, as a judicious 
attention and respect to the interests of that Art;* and 
secondly, as a powerful means of diffusing generally, 



* The Royal Academy of Arts, includes Painting, Sculp- 
ture, and Architecture. Amongst its established Professors, 



CANTO FIRST. 63 

While, rapid as ibe anxious pencil flies, 375 

New powers of Art in pleased alliance rise ; 



amongst the rising race of artists, a more intimate know- 
ledge of ancient statues ; of promoting a taste for their 
peculiar beauties ; and a desire to understand the prin- 
ciples by which they appear to have been so uniformly 
produced. Some measure to this effect, seems to be, at 
the present moment, rather more than expedient. The 
general (and it is to be feared) growing disregard of that 
purity of form and character, of which the Greeks have 
supplied us with the most impressive examples, is alarming 
to the interests of Taste ; and unless it be checked by the 
timely interference of the Academy, must strike at the 
foundation of that fame which the British School has so 
perseveringly sought, and so honourably established. 



there is one for Painting, and one for Architecture, but no 
Professor of Sculpture. There seems to be no good reason 
why, the Students of this art should not be allowed the be- 
nefit of public lectures in their particular department ; for 
although a knowledge of design must be considered the 
basis of Sculpture as well as Painting ; and though, as far as 
this knowledge goes, the interests of the former may be 
supposed to be adequately provided for in the establish- 
ment of a lecturer in the latter art, yet Sculpture is a pur- 
suit of sufficient importance in itself, and sufficiently 
distinct in its materia], and mode of operation, to require 
and deserve the privilege of a Professor, appointed for its 



64 ELEMENTS OF ART. 

Precision, Spirit, Softness, Strength combine, 
And freely undulate the flowing line. 



Line 378. And freely undulate 'the Jloxoing line.] — The 
merits of design require the more attention and encourage- 
ment from those who are sensible of their superior import- 
ance, in proportion as they are but little understood or 
esteemed by the common class of critical observers. With 
respect to the higher attainments of Art indeed, the general 
feeling appears to be particularly defective. The beauties 
of form, character, and composition, are neither so interest- 
ing to the public, nor so much cultivated by the painter as 
other qualities of art, which must be considered of an infe- 
rior description. 

Colouring and chiaro-oscuro, force and execution, are 
merits more popular with the one, and consequently more 
studied by the other. The Ideal is subordinate to the 
Mechanical ; Rembrandt is more felt than Raphael ; and 
although in painting, and in music, the taste of the Italian 
School is always spoken of with rapture by the dilettanti of 
both arts ; it nevertheless, appears to have made but little 
real progress amongst us. Neither our eyes nor our ears 
are yet sufficiently cultivated to be thoroughly impressed 



own purposes, and to be treated with a degree of attention 
equal to that which is bestowed upon the two other arts of 
which the Academy consists. 



Canto first. 65 

"with its peculiar excellence, or scientifically sensible in 
what its superiority consists. . There is even a kind of na- 
tional prejudice, which militates against its advancement, 
and which looks upon its progress with an eye of suspicious 
discontent, as if it were an invasion of our Taste, which our 
patriotism should endeavour to repel : 

But we brave Britons foreign laws despised, 

And kept unconquer'd and uncivilized ; 

Fierce for the liberties of wit, and bold, 

We still defy the Romans, as of old. Pope. 

The true John Bull, who is often to be found amongst those 
whose rank forbids us to class them with the vulgar, thinks 
it a duty of public spirit to set his face against all outland- 
ish refinements, and is proud to prefer a ballad to a 
bravura; or the humours of Hogarth to the sublimities of 
Michael Angelo. Even the few who are forward to disclaim 
this barbarism, and who profess the most delicate sensibility 
to the higher merits of painting and music, appear sometimes 
so mal-apropos in the expression of their raptures, as to ex- 
cite a suspicion that fashion is the prompter, rather than 
feeling. The awkward application of our praise frequently 
lessens its value by proving it not to be the tribute of 
judgment. The strong spirit of our admiration is not yet 
sufficiently refined ; it still discovers a sediment of preju- 
dice, and a flavour of false Taste. We almost invariably 
applaud the difficult, instead of the agreeable, and mistake 
the vice of the means for the perfection of the end. We 
prefer the strong impulse of surprise to the delicate touch 
of delight, and are seldom satisfied unless we are astonished. 

F 



66 ELEMENTS OF ART. 

A rapid succession of demisemiquavers poured forth in a 
fantastic variety of nights and flourishes, to the utter confu- 
sion of melody and common sense, we admire as the perfec- 
tion of music. A mechanical sleight of hand, a fluttering 
dexterity of pencil, or a laborious minuteness of vulgar imi- 
tative detail, we approve as the excellence of Art. We 
forget that the most obvious are not the most arduous diffi- 
culties ; that the most exquisite efforts of skill are often 
concealed in their own ingenuity, and least palpable when 
most successful. 

" Ars est celare artem," is an old authority, which seems 
falling into disrepute — a maxim of critical jurisprudence, 
overlooked among the novel enactments of the modern 
code. Our Taste, like a good housewife, delights in stir 
and bustle : violent exertion carries with it an air of 
busyness and ability, which bespeaks our good will. We 
are more excited by the jumping agility of the rope-dancer, 
than the easy grace of natural movement. This tendency 
to be caught by practical exploits, and Sadlers Wells 
wonders, perverts our judgment more or less, through all its 
operations ; for every art may be said to have its rope- 
dancers and its tumblers, who exhibit their tricks for the 
public gratification, and ever tottering on the edge of diffi- 
culty, endeavour to extort from our astonishment, that ap- 
plause which they know they cannot expect from our 
Taste. 



CANTO SECOND. 



ARGUMENT. 

Subservient studies necessary to the formation of a painter 
— Anatomy — its importance and abuse — Perspective — its 
office and eifects — neglect of its principles inexcusable, 
however sanctioned by authority — folly of those who 
attempt to justify their faults by the plea of precedent 
exemplified — Architecture — its application to painting, 
and utility as a source of dignitied and appropriate or- 
nament — excellence of the old masters in this art — their 
general talents, and the success which attended their ex- 
ertions in all congenial studies — comprehensive character 
of painting, as including and commanding all the depart- 
ments of Taste — Nature through all the operations of Art, 
the proper object of the painter — wonders performed by 
the genius of ancient Greece, conducted by the light of 
Nature — her particular pre-eminence in the works of 
Taste, and the advantages which the modern arts hare de- 
rived from it — origin of her excellence in sculpture, 
ascribed to the inspired efforts of her genius, aroused in 
the cause of her religion — the enthusiastic admiration 
excited by the beautiful statues of their divinities, fa- 
vourable to the influence of paganism, amongst the 
Greeks — The Olympic Jupiter of Phidias, at Elis — his 
Minerva, at Athens — their destruction lamented — The 
Venus de Medici described — the Apollo Belvidere de- 
scribed—allusion to the unknown author, and address 
to his shade — the Hercules Farnese — the Torso — the 
Laocoon — allusion to the many other excellent pro- 
ductions of the Greeks, in sculpture, and the judgment 
which the fragments that remain authorise us to form of 
their art in its splendour — address to Time and Chance, 
to spare, for the gratification of future times, those inesti- 
mable relics — address to the Spirit of ancient Greece, 
expressive of the advantages which the modern world has 
derived from her genius — illustrative of the lessons 
which we have drawn from her wisdom ; the refinement 
we owe to her Taste, and the examples which she has 
left us in her virtues. 



[69] 



CANTO II. 



Insertisque toris sint nota ligamina juxta 

Compages anatomes, et membrificatio Graeco 

Deformata modo, paucisque expressa lacertis* 

Qualis apud veteres ; Fresnoy, 



VjOLLATERAL studies here the Painter claim. 
And serve — the humbler agents of his fame. 
But chief, essential in the noblest part, 
Anatomy extends her aid to Art ; 



Line 4. Anatomy extends her aid to Art ;] — It would be 
more creditable to our industry as well as to our know- 
ledge, if we made ourselves competent to the task of in- 
struction in that part of Anatomy, which is connected with 
our Art. Whatever is necessary for a painter to learn, a 
painter should be able to teach ; no other person can do 
his duty for him with equal advantage, or can so judici- 
ously select from the general irrelevancy of other studies, 



70 ELEMENTS OF ART, 

Man's wond'rous frame with friendly toil prepares, 5 
And first to view the bony structure bares ; 
Unfolds how, firm, as Nature's pow'r appoints, 
Attach its tendons, and unite its joints; 



those things which may be suited to his purpose, and shew 
at once their application, and their powers. 

The most skilful anatomist must be embarrassed when 
he attempts to explain his Art to those who learn it for a 
purpose so different from his own. Unless he has the 
judgment of an Artist, he can form no clear conception of 
what we require of him ; and is always liable to mistake, 
and mistate, the mode and degree in which the knowledge 
of his particular pursuit may be useful to ours. Naturally 
desirous to display what he considers his most valuable ac- 
quirements, he addresses the Surgeon rather than the 
Painter ; and involuntarily tends to the interior, the curi- 
ous and the minute, while we are interested only in the 
exterior, the general, and the palpable. In proportion as 
he is profound in the Theatre, he finds it difficult to be 
superficial in the Academy, and can rarely lower his eru- 
dition to the level of our wants. 

The penetrating science of a Sheldon* or a Carlisle, 



* Since this passage was written, the Academy has been 
deprived of this very eminent and respectable character. 
Mr. Carlisle has been elected to fill the vacant chair, and 



CANTO SECOND. 71 

Explains how parts, by quick volition prest, 
Or rise in motion, or relax in rest : 10 

Displays each muscle's action, shape, and place, 
And rears the human building from its base. 



which has traced and detected the mechanism of Nature, 
through the most miraculous minutiae of animal organiza- 
tion, must submit with reluctance, to clear away common 
integuments, and demonstrate muscles and bones. Such 
masters of dissection teaching the alphabet of Anatomy, is 
like Porson expatiating on a primer, or Newton explain- 
ing the multiplication table. 

In the best times of our Art, an accurate knowledge of 
osteology and muscular anatomy, was considered of the 
greatest importance, and acquired with the greatest atten- 
tion. Leonardo da Vinci, Michael Angelo, and many other 
great Artists, were eminently skilled in this branch of sci- 
ence, and perfectly competent to communicate what they 
so well understood. Our own days also, have furnished an 
instance of very conspicuous anatomical ability in an Artist. 
The late ingenious and indefatigable Mr. Stubbs, made him- 
self master, not only of that degree of knowledge which 
was necessary for the purpose of his pencil, but pursued 



as he, to a good natural taste in the Arts, adds considerable 
skill in design, the Institution may expect from his zeal and 
science, every advantage which can be derived from the 
abilities of a Professor who is not a painter. 



72 ELEMENTS OF ART. 

Unskilful here, the naked form defies 
Your vain attempt, and Truth offended flies ; 
For as in Musick, so we find in Art, 15 

Unless sound principles their light impart, 



his dissections with an ardour which carried him into the 
province of the professional Anatomist. At the time of his 
death, though far advanced in years, he was engaged with 
all the vigour of youth, in the prosecution of a work on 
this subject, which, if completed, would have been an 
honourable memorial of his zeal, his industry, and his 
knowledge. \ 

When anatomical instruclion is communicated by the 
painter, it flows directly in the channel of his art ; there is 
nothing wasted or misapplied in it — deficient or redundant. 
He shews clearly, what is to be derived from the one art, 
because he knows exactly what is wanted by the other ; he 
assigns to anatomy its true place and importance in our 
studies ; he neither swells it into absurd consequence, nor 
sinks it into dangerous disesteem : and while he forcibly 
impresses its utility, is qualified to expose its abuse. 

Anatomists, however scientifically they may be acquainted 
w r ith the bones, muscles, and tendons which make up the hu- 
man frame^ are seldom found to be competent judges of the 
human form : they are so occupied in taking the machine to 
pieces, and examining its minuter parts, that when the 
whole is put together, they know less of its general move- 
ment and appearance, than many who have never heard a 



CANTO SECOND. 73 

The eye and ear, howe'er by Nature just, 
Are guides, Correctness always fears to trust. 

Yet some, by scientific pride misled, 
Appear, in spectres to have raised the dead ; 20 



lecture, or touched an instrument of dissection. They 
know the muscular operation which is necessary to the 
subsistence of an action, but not the muscular appearance 
which is essential to its beauty. They study the dead sub- 
ject only, and provided the parts are in a sound dissectable 
state, are indifferent to their symmetry or proportion. They 
can hardly be said to be acquainted with a living muscle or 
an elastic motion ; they understand the structure in all its 
materials, its parts, and its dependencies : they are skilled 
in the plan and familiar with the interior arrangements ; 
but they want the eye of the Artist to measure the propor- 
tions, and to judge of the elevation. 

In the application of anatomical science to the purposes 
of the pencil, the anatomist may appear more learned, mi- 
nute, and philosophical — but the painter would be more 
clear, appropriate, and impressive : where the one finds 
himself most out of his course, the other would feel himself 
most at home : and could connect with his illustration 
of the origin, insertion, and office of the muscles, a 
variety of useful information, as to the beauty and grace 
of their action, which will never occur but to those who 
spend their lives in observing them.. 

But whatever excuse may be made for the painter, in 



74 ELEMENTS OF ART* 

While such half-skeletons our eyes abuse, 
That Nature starts, and Taste astonish'd views. 
Fools ! who with knowledge out of place offend, 
To shew the means, still sacrifice the end. 
Behold ! to prove their anatomic art, 25 

Each figure flay'd — dissected every part ! 
Naked, or draped, alike their skill make known, 
Through this, the muscle swells,through that — the bone! 



not teaching anatomy, there certainly can be none offered 
for his not learning it. Though he may be allowed to de- 
cline a duty which concerns the interests of others, he 
cannot be pardoned for neglecting a study so essential to 
his own. If he omit to furnish himself with that know- 
ledge of the essential elements of his profession, which is 
within the reach of zeal and industry to acquire, he must 
not be surprised, if they who observe his deficiencies, un- 
dervalue his merits, and visit on his genius the sins of his 
indolence. 

Line 27. Naked, or draped, alike their skill make known ,] 
— This fault is more disagreeable than even its opposite 
defect ; as ignorance is less offensive than affectation. It is 
one of the most hopeless pedantries of Art, and has all the 
ostentation without the reality of science. The shield of 
Michael Angelo himself, is not sufficient to cover from cri- 
tical indignation, his injudicious imitators — the swaggering 
retainers of his Taste, " who tear a passion to rags," and 



CANTO SECOND. 75 

Mere posture-masters of the palette these ! 

No simple, natural positions please ; SO 

Like Ancient Pistol in the play, their art 

Must bluster, and look big in every part; 

Their thoughts beyond all common measure swell, 

In grim hobgoblin grandeur still they dwell ; 

With epic state their lofty spirit stalks, 35 

Bestriding humbler merit as he walks ; 

Their vigour — violence •, their fancy — whim ; 

In full distortion, straining every limb, 

See monst'rous shapes disown'd by every clime, 

Burlesque in bloated action the sublime ! 40 



follow him as Pantaloon pursues Harlequin, through all his 
hair-breadth escapes, to meet only disappointment and dis- 
aster, in awkward struggles of agility, and coarse convul- 
sions of grimace. 

Line 40. Burlesque in bloated action the sublime /] — The 
sublime is dangerous ground in Poetry and Art : it borders 
too closely upon the burlesque, for those to tread in safety 
who attempt to stride upon the stilts of imitation. It is a 
quality that never succeeds at second-hand : a coin, that 
when borrowed, always becomes base metal. He who 
copies Michael Angelo, will easily become extravagant, 
but he will never become sublime. The spirit of that great 
man is too strong for the " imitatores servum pecus," it 



76 ELEMENTS OF ART. 

While frenzy stares in each distracted face, 
As forced expression maddens to grimace. 

As neigbb'ring monarchs, when invoked for aid, 
Too oft usurp the province they invade, 



intoxicates instead of inspiring them. Thus, fewer great 
Artists are to be found amongst his professed followers, 
than amongst those of even inferior men ; for the quality 
which pre-eminently characterised him, is one that can 
never be communicated by example, or acquired by imi- 
tation. In this view it is, that, with great deference to the 
high authority of Reynolds, the Author would have been 
disposed to hesitate, before he recommended the Taste of 
Michael Angelo to the particular cultivation of the English 
School ; for though that daring and extraordinary genius 
was the first who emancipated his Art from the dry, tame, 
and torpid manner of his predecessors, and led the way to 
all that is dignified and majestic in the practice of those 
who have succeeded him ; yet, his ardour, like that of most 
other reformers, urged him into the opposite extreme, and 
the Author conceives that we have now, in Raphael, a safer 
and superior guide. He must always be a dangerous model 
whose peculiar excellence consists in that, which, when we 
imitate, we are sure to lose. Buonaroti is a blazing star, 
too excentric in its orbit, to direct us safely in the naviga- 
tion of Art. The sublime is to be sought for only in those 
tracks which Genius opens for himself ; it is an apparition 



CANTO SECOND. 77 

Collateral studies led beyond their sphere, 45 

As enemies, and not allies appear. 

Perspective, next demands the Student's care, 
And, queen of distance ! reigns unrivall'd there. 



that never rises to different persons in the same place : 
like the Genius of the new world, encountered by Colum- 
bus, it appears in all its majesty, to the first bold adven- 
turer that penetrates its bounds, but is never after seen by 
those who follow in his course. 

They who consider the genius of Reynolds as an orna- 
ment to his Art, and an honour to his country, have per- 
haps, reason to be pleased, that his admiration of Michael 
Angelo was not so enthusiastic at the commencement, as 
at the close of his career. Since he declared that " were 
he to begin the world again he would tread in the steps of 
that great man ;" how far the powers of our English 
Apelles might have enabled him to succeed in that " terri- 
bile via," where so many others have failed, it is impossible 
to determine : but as far as we can judge from the fate of 
those who have followed in this track, there appears to 
be no room for regret, that the founder and father of the 
English School of Painting, " took another course more suit- 
able to his abilities," and is not now to be classed amongst 
the imitators of Michael Angelo. 

Line 47. Perspective, next demands the Student's care,~] — 
Reynolds has justly exposed the error of Fresnoy, on this 



78 ELEMENTS OF ART. 

Confides the compass to his hand, and leads 

The doubtful pencil as the draught proceeds. 50 

Behold ! enlarging in her magic line, 

The opening visto spreads — a vast design ! 



subject, as well as the absurd reasoning of his annotator 
De Piles. It appears indeed extraordinary, that an ad- 
herence to the rules of perspective should ever have been 
considered a defect, or an inconvenience. Since that Art 
supplies us with an infallible mode of ascertaining and re- 
presenting the true appearance of things, if the points of 
sight and distance, are chosen judiciously, according to the 
nature of the subject and the scene, its principles can never 
be too scrupulously observed. To depart from them in any 
case, is to violate natural propriety, and to sacrifice to a 
fallacious pretext of Taste, the certainty of Truth and 
Science. But the position advanced by Fresnoy, has its 
foundation in a principle of criticism similar to that which 
in the words of Pope, is so often repeated, and so generally 
misunderstood : 

" Great wits sometimes may gloriously offend, 
" And rise to faults, true critics dare not mend, 
" From vulgar bounds with brave disorder part, 
" And snatch a grace beyond the reach of Art." 

Essay on Criticism. 
It is surely injudicious to represent the higher beauties of 
an art, as attainable out of the sphere of propriety : to 
allow such a latitude to the excursions of caprice, is to 



CANTO SECOND. 79 

The plain expands — the pillar, by her aid, 
Proportion'd lessens in the long arcade ; 
Behold ! how part, from part receding flies, 55 

As different groupes in just gradation rise ; 



unsettle the established boundaries of merit, and furnish the 
plea of authority to transgressions without occasion or 
excuse. 

u To snatch a grace beyond the reach of Art," 
is an expression, which, however poetical and pointed, 
seems to be neither very clear, nor acute. The word Art is 
too vague for its office in this place ; it cannot be under- 
stood to express the general power and function of any 
particular branch of human ingenuity, as Poetry for in- 
stance, for it would be a figure of speech bordering on a 
bull, to- say that an Artist may exhibit a grace beyond the 
reach of the Art in which it is to be displayed. The word 
art must therefore, be supposed to mean that degree of 
inferior skill which is derived from system and rule, as 
distinguished from feeling and taste ; and in this sense, the 
line conveys to us a position which is certainly as just, as it 
is generally acknowledged, viz. that we should aim at a 
grace which mere system and rule can never reach : but 
this grace, it is humbly conceived, should not be described 
as attainable by " a brave disorder J > or characterised as 
u a fault" which u true critics dare not mend." If it was 
the critic's intention to say, that in Poetry, or any other 
pursuit of Taste, exalted merits may be displayed which 



80 ELEMENTS OF ART. 

While taught by rule, each figure finds its place, 
-And miles seem measured in an inch of space. 
Think not th' uncertain sense — the erring eye * 
May slight her laws, presumptuous, or supply ; 60 



are not exactly consistent with the principles and proprie- 
ties, which sound sense and experience have assigned to it. 
If he meant to inculcate that there are faults, which it is 
glorious to commit — blemishes, which it is a beauty to dis- 
play — that there is a kind of non-descript charm, which is 
generated between error and excellence, and partakes un* 
accountably of the qualities of both ; the precept appears 
to be extraordinary, if not absurd, and indicates neither a 
pure sense of Taste, nor a clear conception of Merit. 

In Art, there can be no excellence that is not founded in 
Fitness, Propriety, and Truth : these are the ingredients 
which are essential in the composition of merit : ingredi- 
ents which admit of no intermixture of error, however inge- 
niously modified, without detriment and adulteration. But 
things which have no other relation than that of concomi- 
tance, are often connected in our minds as cause and con- 
sequence, and we fancy we can descry beauties resulting 
from defects, which exist in despite of them. By the joint 
operation of prejudice and bad taste, we confound the 
faults with the perfections of Genius, till at length in the 
blindness of undiscriminating reverence, we mistake the 
one for the other. 

The doctrine of license, as laid down in this canon of 



CANTO SECOND. 81 

TV indignant Critic in her cause attends, 
And damns the proudest culprit who offends : 



criticism, seems as absurd in Taste, as it is dangerous in 
morals ; it produces a careless laxity in both ; removes the 
wholesome restraints of regulated Science, and induces us 
to surrender the grand principles of common sense and 
common justice, to the capricious fluctuations of individual 
judgment. 

A dispensing power is as improper in a Poet as a Prince 
— it affords a temptation, too great for civil or literary pro- 
bity to withstand, and is seldom exercised, but to the pre- 
judice of the poetical and the political state. 

The arrogant dictates of criticism, or, as Johnson calls 
them, " the arbitrary edicts of legislators, authorised only 
by themselves," may be justly disregarded by those who 
have sense to value the natural freedom of the human mind, 
and courage to assert it : few dramatic writers of eminence 
would now consent to fetter their faculties in the unities of 
Aristotle, or think it an indispensible duty to divide their 
play into five acts, because Horace has said, 

Neve minor, neu sit quinto productior actu 
Fabula, quae posci volt, et spectata reponi. 
The fearless wing of Genius may laudably brush away 
that cobweb code of critic legislation, in which pedantry 
and prejudice have delighted to entangle the interests of 
Taste, and endeavoured to tie down the talents of every 
age to the practice of antiquity. But we should be care- 
ful how we are induced to authorise under any circum- 

G 



82 ELEMENTS OF ART. 

Admits no plea of precedent — no claim 
Of pardon, tho' preferred in Raphael's name. 



stances, a departure from the principles of science, or the 
precepts of truth ; how we are led to tolerate, much less to 
applaud an indulgence which militates against the funda- 
mental laws of natural propriety ; in order to invest with 
all the honours of admiration those capricious aberrations, 
those glittering excentricities of Art, which not being 
reconcilable to Nature or common sense, assume the cha- 
racter of irregular excellence, and always claim our ho- 
mage, in proportion as they are beyond our explanation or 
comprehension. 

Those beauties may well be dispensed with, which will not 
grow within the pale of propriety, and if all the flowers of 
this description were excluded from the parterres of Taste, 
the garden would not be the less blooming or attractive. 

This doctrine will probably be considered extraordi- 
nary, by all that class of enthusiastic admirers, who pique 
themselves on the possession of a sensibility of Taste, far 
beyond the phlegmatic coarseness of ordinary faculties. 
Those martyrs of moral sympathy, who eternally vibrate in 
tremulous oscillation between the agonies and the extacies 
of life, have no respect for merits which can be made in- 
telligible to common capacities : with them, reason and 
common sense are cold and vulgar critics, who judge when 
they ought to feel, and question when they should adore : 
In a fine frenzy of delight, they rush to the sanctuary of 
sentiment, from the rigid tribunal of the understanding, 



CANTO SECOND. 83 

Transcendant merit may defects excuse, 65 

That find no mercy in an humbler Muse ; 



and what they cannot defend with justice, protect by super- 
stition. They delight to lose themselves in a sublime ob- 
scurity of meaning ; to wander in an agreeable confusion 
of the faculties amongst the inexpressibles and indefinables 
of Taste ; and are never so thoroughly satisfied of their su- 
periority to us common mortals, as when under the rap- 
turous influence of an admiration excited by perfections, 
which can neither be understood nor described. 

Line 64. Of pardon, tho> preferred in Raphael's name.~\ — 
Precedents are seldom necessary, but when principles are 
to be the sacrifice, for that which will stand by reason, 
need not be propped by authority. But when weakness is 
to be excused, or error established, we would willingly 
make our predecessors co-operate, by quoting the confor- 
mity of practice, and producing the sanction of example. 
We erect into precedents the defects of great men, and are 
content to be wrong if we can but plead their authority. 
Thus, the name even of Raphael is not unfrequently brought 
forward to bear evidence in favour of imbecility and bad 
Taste : in the Cartoon of the miraculous draught of fishes, 
his mode of treating the boat has been considered as a de- 
cisive instance to prove, that it is sometimes necessary to 
depart from the strict rules of perspective and vulgar pro- 
priety. Critics have discovered, that if the figures were 
proportioned to the boat, they would be too small for the 
proper impression of the subject, and if the boat were 



84 ELEMENTS OF ART. 

We grant some license to those sons of praise, 
Whose glories seem to brighten as we gaze, 
But each fired eye on his presumption low'rs, 
Who claims their privilege without their powers. 70 



proportioned to the figures, it would be too large for the 
dimension of the picture. In this formidable dilemma, 
from which not even the genius of Raphael could extricate 
him : they have therefore, sagaciously concluded, that he 
has taken the wisest course, and prudently sacrificed the 
lesser to the greater propriety. That an inferior may justly 
be sacrificed for the attainment of a superior merit, is a 
principle of criticism, which few will be inclined to dis- 
pute : but in the application of this principle, it is assuredly 
incumbent upon us to shew, that the greater merit could 
not possibly be effected but at the expense of the smaller : 
and it may farther be necessary to prove, that the preser- 
vation of the former is of sufficient importance to atone for 
the choice of a subject, which required the violation of the 
latter. In the instance under consideration, the Author 
conceives, that the disproportion of the boat is indefensi- 
ble under any fair interpretation of this critical canon. 
That it is a capital breach of propriety, neither necessary 
to the subject, nor efficient to the attainment of any excel- 
lence, which could not be otherwise'preserved, and that it 
can be justified only through the pernicious operation of 
that prejudice, which we find every day corrupting to 
superstition the rational worship of Taste. 

"Without derogating from the exalted supremacy of 



CANTO SECOND. 85 

As on the weak, rich armour can but tend 
To cover each frail body, not defend ; 
So, cased in high authorities of Art, 
A fault's still found a vulnerable part: 
Yet, as o'er shallow minds the shining mail, 75 

Tho' valour's semblance merely, will prevail; 
Thus Critics oft, and Painters too, we see, 
Who bend to precedent the bigot knee, 

Raphael, it may be safely asserted, that few able artists of 
the present day, would be much embarrassed, in treating 
the miraculous draught of. fishes, by any great difficulty in 
the management of the boat. However, they might sink 
in a comparison with their great predecessor, they would 
not strike upon this rock ; they would not think it neces- 
sary to follow his errors as a means to emulate his merits, 
nor consider themselves justified by his example, if they 
had sent their fishermen to sea in a bathing tub. 

It is no excuse for error, to say it was necessary to the 
subject ; for the subject that will not admit of being treated 
without impropriety, should not be treated at all. The 
metal that is not malleable to our purpose, should not be 
placed upon the anvil ; we are responsible for the selec- 
tion as well as the composition of our theme : and he who 
flatters himself that the intractable nature of his subject 
may excuse the imperfection which it occasions, will but 
more clearly shew the weakness of his judgment, and find 
his choice as much condemned as his skill. 



86 ELEMENTS OF ART. 

With awe the ancestors of Art behold, 

And even errors venerate — if old. 80 

Some fools, like mimics, ape their graphic sires, 
And Fancy their servility inspires, 
To each bad part still sympathetic turn, 
And with a sinister ambition bum ; 
Their vices' heirs ! to prove their title good, 85 

They '11 aggravate the virus in their blood : 
Their dull descent through every error trace, 
And, bastard like, claim kindred by disgrace. 

Nor deems the Muse mispent the studious hour, 
Devoted to her stalely sister's power, 90 



Line 90. Devoted to her stately sister's power, ] — It ap- 
pears somewhat extraordinary, that in the long contest 
for pre-eminence, physical and intellectual, which has sub- 
sisted between this country and France, we should still 
neglect to take example, by the prudence of our enemy, 
in cases which involve some of the most important objects 
of our competition. 

66 Fas est ab hoste doceri," is an old adage, which, 
though possessing the weight of classical authority, seems 
to have made but little impression upon us. Dependant 
even for our existence as a nation, on the security of our 



CANTO SECOND, 87 

Supplies of ornament and use she brings, 

Proud fanes for Gods, and palaces for Kings: 

To noblest acts a suited scene provides, 

And o'er the back ground's gorgeous stores presides. 



naval dominion, it is scarcely credible, that we should 
allow Ourselves to be surpassed in any branch of know- 
ledge, which is directly or even remotely connected with 
its preservation. Yet, it has been openly confessed in our 
Senate,* that the French excel us in the art of ship-build- 
ing : our military men acknowledge, that in the Art of 
war, they are more learned and systematic ; and our 
Artists must own, that they cultivate with more ardour 
and application, those elementary studies of their Art, 
which are so important to its perfection, and amongst us so 
often neglected. 

For the signal successes therefore, which we have ob- 
tained, we seem to be less indebted to our prudence than 
to our good-fortune. If we triumph by sea and by land ; 
with the sword and the pencil, it is more to the credit of 
our genius and our valour, than our industry or our discre- 
tion. We should not, however, so far confide in our 
strength as to despise the succours of science ; for he is too 
sure of the victory who neglects any means to obtain it. 

The stake which we play for is too important, both in 



* In one of the debates upon the subject of the threat- 
ened invasion. 



88 ELEMENTS OF ART. 

When Taste unfolds the landscape, by her aid, 95 

The temple dignifies the rural shade; 

Majestic ruins rise on canvas plains, 

To prove her splendours in their proud remains, 



arms, and in arts, for wisdom to allow the odds of know- 
ledge to remain against us. It is a sort of treason against 
our courage and our taste, not to avail ourselves of every 
advantage, which may enable us to start fair with our 
rivals in the race of national renown. 

With respect to naval architecture, there is certainly, 
an excuse for our remissness, which is as honourable as it 
is peculiar to us. Our sailors make amends for our ship- 
wrights ; and as they never fail to take the vessels of the 
enemy whenever they meet them, the French may be said 
to build them for our use. Our commanders indeed, like 
our connoisseurs, take care to supply us with a variety of 
models for imitation. They are distinguished collectors in 
this way : they are a kind of nautical cognoscenti, so indis- 
criminately voracious in their taste, as to be always de- 
lighted with the possession of the first, second, or even 
third rate productions of the French School. The most 
sagacious European critics seem to think that our collec- 
tions in this department of the Arts, though consisting en- 
tirely of sea pieces, are of much more consequence than 
even the vaunted assemblage of the Louvre, and there is 
good reason to believe, that if we were disposed to make 



CANTO SECOND. 89 

Athens, new glories from her hand derives, 
And Rome, in marble majesty revives. 100 

Their heads in clouds memorial columns hide, 
And heroes 'neath triumphant arches ride. 



an exchange ; the imperial picture dealer would be very 
happy to relinquish in our favour (to use the most ap- 
proved technical phrase,) all the treasures which it con- 
tains. 

But whether we are, or are not sufficiently active in pro- 
moting those studies which relate to the naval and military 
interests of the country, the Author leaves to those who 
are better qualified to determine. It cannot however be 
considered " ultra crepitant," if he endeavours to shew, 
that we ought not so imprudently to set to hazard our 
pre-eminence in Art, as to neglect taking the judicious 
precautions which are adopted by our competitors, or 
expect from vigour without vigilance that success, which 
must ultimately depend on the union of both. An inatten- 
tion to the subordinate, diminishes the impression of our 
powers in the superior parts of the Art ; our genius suffers 
by our negligence, and appears to disadvantage, for want 
of those lesser accomplishments, which every body looks 
for in our works, and any body may acquire. 

Amongst our errors of this kind, the general neglect of 
Architecture as a study accessary to painting, is not one of 
the least conspicuous. Some of the best pictures of the 
English School, discover a deficiency of knowledge in that 



90 ELEMENTS OF ART. 

In other times, o'er all her pomps impress'd, 
The Mural Muse the Painter's skill confess'd; 
For not in Graphic lustre bright alone, 105 

The ancient Sovereigns of the Pencil shone, 



Art, which is the more inexcusable, because it is so easily 
supplied ; but the prevalence of this defect, is perhaps most 
glaringly displayed in our portraits ; it would puzzle 
Palladio himself, to account for the composition of their 
architectural decorations, or to reconcile them with any 
principle of propriety or proportion. The pillar and the 
curtain, shift from side to side of the picture, in clumsy 
combination, through all the varieties of sameness, exposing 
at once our deficiency of other materials, and our abuse of 
these. As common-places of back-ground embellishment, 
they are, perhaps, the most manageable objects which we 
possess : but their eternal repetition, under the most inap- 
propriate circumstances, has diminished their value, and to 
be now tolerated in any studied production, they must be 
very skilfully employed. 

When we consider the variety of useful and ornamental 
materials, which, for the composition and enrichment of his 
work, the painter may derive from architecture, it ap- 
pears more than remiss in him, to neglect to provide him- 
self from so valuable and accessible a fund. The works of 
the old masters shew how assiduously they courted the 
assistance of this ally, and what they thought useful, we 
are not in a situation to disregard. Poussin, and Paul 



CANTO SECOND. 91 

Congenial toils employ'd their vigorous powers, 
And every Muse solicited their hours. 
Like mighty monarchs stretching wide their sway, 
They proudly bade each neighbouring Art obey ; 310 
Where'er they turn'd their strength, subdued at will, 
O'er all the reaims of Taste triumphant still ! 



Veronese, were prodigal of their architectural knowledge, 
and often communicated an air of magnificence to their com- 
positions, which raised the character of the subject by the 
dignity of the scene. 

Raphael, Michael Angelo, and Romano, studied archi- 
tecture not only, as subservient to the purposes of painting, 
but, acquired such skill in that Art, as to be esteemed the 
most eminent architects of their time. 

We shall in vain aspire to rival these great Artists, if we 
neglect to adopt the means by which their excellence was 
produced. We cannot be sure of possessing their genius, 
for that depends upon nature ; but we can always imitate 
their diligence, for that depends upon ourselves ; and in 
proportion as we are deficient of their powers, we stand in 
need of their application. 

Perhaps, the old masters might be more serviceable to 
us, if we made a somewhat different use of them. If we 
were to follow the track of their studies, rather than the 
track of their pencil : to imitate the painter rather than 
the picture, and take example by their industry as well as 
their Art. 



9% ELEMENTS OF ART. 

Painting, in full imperial state expands, 

And every province of Virtu commands; 

Includes within her pale their lesser parts, 115 

And shines — the genus maximum of Arts. 

Still from the first, with steady pace, pursue 
The winding maze of Art by Nature's clue ; 
For all her toils, antique or modern, tend, 
But as a means to Nature — Art's true end, 120 



Line 120. But as a means to Nature — Art's true end,~] — 
This precept cannot be too often, nor too earnestly en- 
forced : for to the neglect of it may be traced all those 
errors and prejudices, which occasion the general discom- 
fiture of Genius, and the constant corruption of Taste. 
Art advances to perfection, while she fixes her regards 
steadily upon Nature ; she declines, from the moment in 
which she turns her eye upon herself. Self-admiration is 
her bane ; yet to this fate, by a Narcissus-like fascination, 
all Arts tend ; and the progress of the human powers, is 
obstructed not so much by the defect of their weakness, as 
the misapplication of their strength. 

In this view, it may perhaps, admit of a question, whe- 
ther the advantages to be derived from established exam- 
ples of excellence in an Art, are not in a great measure 
counterbalanced by the servility of mind, which seldom 



CANTO SECOND. 93 

Nature ! the object of your search alone, 
In picture prize, and estimate in stone : 
The brightest genius must her beam display, 
To glow beyond the meteor of a day : 



fails to result from their influence. Whether, in short, we 
do not lose in spirit of adventure, more than we gain in 
security of track ; and sacrifice the chance of original ex- 
cellence to the interests of general mediocrity. The tide 
of admiration swelled by time and enthusiasm, soon rises 
above the just level of Taste, and carries away even the 
mounds of common sense. A rational respect for merit, 
degenerates to a superstitious reverence of his defects ; till 
at length, our judgment wholly subdued by prejudice, we 
make the practice of our predecessors the only measure of 
perfection, and conclude that whatever is different is 
wrong. 

Thus it is, that celebrated works, although they facili- 
tate the outset of our journey, obstruct us at the end of it ; 
and while they seem to shorten the road, prevent our arrival. 

The study of Nature, leads to originality and excel- 
lence ; the study of Art — to mediocrity and imitation. 
The one forms the Poet and the Painter; Authors and 
Artists are the product of the other. 

When, by critical acclamation, a standard of excellence 
has been once decreed ; the powers of Genius are no 
longer free, there is an authority placed over him, which 
he can neither oppose nor elude. Established models are 



94 ELEMENTS OF ART. 

High, 'mid the stars of painting to aspire, 125 

And fiVd in Fame, reflect a lasting fire. 
Led by her light alone, in elder time, 
Immortal Genius ran his course sublime; 



idols erected by the superstition of Taste, to draw us from 
the worship of Nature. 

The noblest achievements of the human intellect, have 
been performed in periods, which were not previously dis- 
tinguished by productions of particular excellence. — Before 
the critic arose to lay down the law of authority, and 
establish the tyranny of Taste. They were bold sallies of 
Genius into the boundless regions of Nature, before the 
maps and charts of criticism had parcelled out that delight- 
ful territory, to prescribe his path, and limit his excursion. 

Homer composed in the earliest age of Epic Poetry, and 
while he indulged the wildest flights of his imagination, 
little suspected, that the caprices of his fancy were to be- 
come the fetters of his posterity. u The authors of the 
Iliad and Odyssey," says Mr. Knight, in the " Analytical 
Inquiry, &c." u would probably have laughed at the re- 
strictions, which their modes of treating their respective 
fables had imposed upon all succeeding Epic Poets ; and 
have been as much amazed, as the most ignorant of their 
audience, at hearing of the systematic principles of pro- 
found philosophy, in which critics, after the lapse of so 
many ages, discovered their practice to be founded.'' 

Sophocles and Euripides flourished during a period, 



CANTO SECOND. 95 

From Glory's summit snatch *d the brightest crown, 
And rifled all the regions of renown. 130 

Led by her light, behold the sons of Greece 
In every Art, still gain the golden fleece ! 



which may be characterised, as little more than the in- 
fancy* of the dramatic art, and enabled the critic to arrest 
its farther improvement, by deriving its laws from their 
example. 

The " Terence of England," (as the admirable Gold- 
smith has called the venerable father of our present drama- 
tic school) remarks in the Observer, " that it is humiliating 



* The Author may possibly be considered not only inju- 
dicious, but presumptuous in thus describing a period in 
which so many of the learned have agreed to discover the 
mature excellence of dramatic composition. He fears how- 
ever, that were he to explain, he should only make matters 
worse, for some of the most received beauties of the Greek 
drama, he might be tempted to cite in his defence as defects, 
and perhaps ascribe to a want of skill and experience, 
some things, which are generally acknowledged to denote, 
in the ancients at least, the perfection of both. The unities 
he would most certainly bring into court as evidence in his 
favour, and were a commission of lunacy to be issued against 
him from all the courts of criticism, he should persist to 
indite the chorus, as a dramatic nuisance, which the good 
taste, and good sense of modern poetry, have happily 
united to abate. 



9$ ELEMENTS OF ART. 

With daring prow the pathless deep explore, 
Discovering worlds of wit unknown before. 
But chief in Taste distinguish'd, from her hand, 135 
A fruitful Nile o'erflowing every land ! 



enough to the pride of criticism to observe, that Tragedy 
after all the pains of Aristotle, to hold it up to the stand- 
ard of Sophocles and Euripides, sunk with those Authors, 
and was no more heard of ; whilst Comedy, without his 
help, and in defiance of his neglect, rose in credit with the 
world, till it attained perfection under the auspices of 
Menander." 

On the revival of painting in Italy, Michael Angelo, 
and Raphael, in composition and design, Titian, and 
Correggio in colouring, and light and shade ; unrestricted 
to the practice, and unoppressed by the reputation of their 
predecessors, arose to a degree of excellence, in which 
they have never since been equalled, because they have 
been always imitated. 

These great Artists maintained the independance of 
Genius, and although they copiously drank from the 
streams of knowledge, felt it to be their privilege, and 
their duty, to trace them through all their meanderings, and 
ascend to the source from which they flowed. While they 
profited by the merits of other times, they refused to be 
bound by their authority, and surpassed because they 
looked beyond them. 

We are more submissive, and consequently less success- 



CANTO SECOND. 97 

Greece pours profuse her treasures, and imparts 
A vegetative vigour to our Arts. 

Full long had Greece beheld her temples bare ! 
Or view'd her Gods grotesque in image there ; 140 

ful ; we satisfy our degenerate ambition by studying Na- 
ture in the works of our predecessors, and contentedly 
turn our back upon the real object, to imitate its reflection 
in their glass. We look to them for that light which they 
derived from Nature. We place them between us and the 
sun, and then wonder at our own eclipse. 

But, says the critic, in a formidable voice, "pursue the 
example of the ancients ; presume not to deviate from the 
practice of those who have secured in their favour the con- 
curring testimony of Taste and Time. Do not flatter your- 
self that you can add any thing to their discoveries, or 
that you are authorised to resort to the same fountain from 
which their merits were derived. They have pre-occupied 
the ground of excellence ; and all that modern ability can 
hope to effect, is, to shew a pious reverence of their 
Taste, and a happy imitation of their beauties." 

These are the maxims which criticism hangs in terrorem 
over the head of Genius, to keep him in subjection, and 
scare him from the exercise of those rights, which belong 
to him in every age, and which no authority of precedent, no 
enactment of Taste, can be justly considered to supersede. 

That the treasures of Nature have been exhausted ; that 

H 



98 ELEMENTS OF ART. 

A monstrous race ! ill fashion'd and ungraced ! 
To heaven unknown, and quite abhorr'd of Taste ! 
Idols so coarse, could hardly reverence claim, 
And turn'd her whole theocracy to shame: 



the harvest has been reaped by our ancestors, while scarcely 
a gleaning remains for us in the field ; is a doctrine loudly 
proclaimed by those who delight to magnify the merits of 
the ancients, because they derive all their importance from 
an acquaintance with them : it is a doctrine also, which 
unhappily, has been but too successful in producing all the 
effects of that pre-occupation which it asserts. The dege- 
neracy of Genius in modern times, has been indeed so 
clearly established, by every form of proof, positive, pre- 
sumptive, and circumstantial, which the ingenuity of criti- 
cism can supply, that were a Poet, or Painter, in the 
present state of intellectual declension, to fancy that he 
possessed those powers which Nature so prodigally be- 
stowed upon " our sires of old," or to flatter himself that 

" In his bosom glow'd their ancient fires," 
the full cry of ridicule would soon rouse him from the 
reverie of vanity, to sink into the despondency of hopeless 
imitation, and wonder at his own presumption : " Possunt 
quia posse videntur," is a maxim of stimulative efficacy, 
which the labours of criticism have most successfully, if 
not judiciously, contrived to reverse. The fallen state of 
the human faculties is indeed, a favourite and fundamental 
position in the jurisprudence of Virtu ; and to express a 



CANTO SECOND. 99 

But rare the altar smoked — the victim died ; 145 

Deficient incense failing faith supplied, 
The skies defrauded of their fragrant fare, 
And priests deploring, fear'd a famine there. 



doubt upon the subject, is considered a sort of professional 
perverseness — a kind of contempt of court ; which seldom 
fails to draw down upon the offender the penalties of con- 
tumacy, from the indignant tribunal of Taste. 

But notwithstanding the established conviction of criti- 
cism to the contrary, common sense will be tempted to 
question, whether Nature has not been as liberal to her 
younger, as to her elder offspring, whether, she has not 
reserved for the enterprise of modern times, unnumbered 
modes of excellence yet untried ; unnumbered tracts of 
fancy still unexplored,* whose treasures wait but to reward 
some daring Columbus of the intellectual ocean, who sur- 
mounting the prejudices of his age, shall rush into regions 
of Taste unthought of by former adventurers, and beyond 
the limits of the ancient world. 

Line 148. And priests deploring, fear 'd a famine there.~] 
— It was an opinion prevalent amongst the ancients, that 



* Rerum Natura sacra sua non simul tradit. Initiatos 
nos credimus ; in vestibulo ejus haeremus. Sen. 

Veniet tempus, quo ista quae nunc latent, in lucem dies 
extrahat, et longioris aevi diligentia .... Veniet 
tempus quo posteri tarn aperta nos nescisse mirentur. Sen. 



100 ELEMENTS OF ART. 

But fired at length, beyond ambition's flame, 

To her religion's aid, her Genius came, 150 

And wrought such miracles of Art to prove 

His power divine— his mission from above, 

That wondering realms the rites of Taste received, 

While Greece exulting, gloried and believed. 



the Gods fed upon the incense which ascended from the 
solemn sacrifices, and religious ceremonies of their wor* 
shippers on earth. An unbelieving age therefore, they 
supposed, by diminishing the supply of this celestial luxury, 
would materially affect the festal comforts of this most con- 
vivial host, and perhaps create a famine in heaven. 

Line 154. While Greece exulting, gloried and believed J]— - 
This account of the progress and effects of Sculpture in the 
ancient world, appears to be more than poetically true. 
Winckelman, on the authority of Pausanias, and other 
writers, states, in his History of the Arts, that in the early 
ages of Art amongst the Greeks, there were thirty divini* 
ties represented by blocks of wood, or by stones, cut into 
a cubical form. " Ces peuples avoient deja trente divinites 
reveres visiblement dans les terns qu'on ne les represen- 
toient pas encore sous des formes humaines, et qu'on se 
contentoit des les designer soit par un bloc informe, soit 
par un pierre cubique, comme faisoient les Arabes et les 
Amazones." 

But if these gross and barbarous images, derived a gra- 
tuitous veneration from the unpolished piety of the earlier 



CANTO SECOND. 101 

No more the Deity degrades the shrine, 155 

Of Genius born, behold a race divine ! 

Her pregnant Arts such forms of beauty bore, 

As made it almost duty to adore: 

Such marks of heaven, in each bright feature shone, 

As mortals could ascribe to Gods alone ; 160 

And tho' false hope in idol power he placed, 

The Pagan was half pardon'd for his taste. 

Now throned at Elis first, the Olympic sire 
Appear'd sublime, amidst the immortal quire : 



Pagans, the more pure and perfect representations of the 
heathen deities, which afterwards replaced them in their 
temples, soon returned the obligation, and raised by the 
enthusiasm of Taste, the declining fervour of religious re- 
verence. Quintilian represents the Olympic Jupiter of 
Phidias, as contributing by its beauty to enerease the reli- 
gious devotion of the Greeks. u Cujus pulchritudo adje- 
cisse aliquid etiam recoepta religione videatur." 

However the absurd and profligate polytheism of the 
ancients operated to defile the moral attributes of their 
divinities, the purity of Grecian Taste rescued their perso- 
nal characteristics, from similar degradation \ and it must be 
confessed that they have most conspicuously surpassed all 
other nations in the dignified representation of super-human 
qualities and celestial natures. 



102 ELEMENTS OF ART. 

Pride of the Pagan host! the form divine 165 

Betray'd Omnipotence in every line : 

With such an awful brow he bore command, 

And grasp'd the golden sceptre in his hand, 

That e'en celestials might his frown have fear'd, 

Confess'd their sovereign ruler, and revered. 170 

Now Pallas too, received her second birth, 
And Phidias' offspring rivall'd Jove's on earth ; 



Line 171. Now Pallas too, received Iter second birth^] — 
The Olympic Jupiter, and Minerva, here mentioned, were 
composed principally of ivory and gold, and executed by 
Phidias, during the ascendancy of Pericles at Athens. 

" Ante omnes, tamen Phidias Atheniensis Jove Olympico 
facto, ex ebore quidam et auro :" is the statement of Pliny; 
he adds also, u sed et ex aere signa fecit;" and in another 
place, u Phidias praeter Jovem Olympicum, quern nemo 
emulatur, fecit et ex ebore aeque Minervam Athenis, quas 
est in Parthenone adstans." Lib. 37. — 6. 8. 

These extraordinary statues were of colossal proportion, 
and it appears, that they so much excited the admiration of 
antiquity, as to have been enumerated amongst the wonders 
of the world. 

As the art of sculpture, in all its nobler qualities, was 
not thought to have surpassed those earlier examples of its 
powers, notwithstanding that various graces and delicacies 



CANTO SECOND, 103 

Presiding Wisdom on her brow express'd 

The flame divine that glow'd within her breast; 



had been supplied by subsequent ability ; there is the more 
reason to regret, that the only ideas which we can now 
form of their excellence, must be derived from the vague 
evidence of general panegyric. That they were however, 
considered as excelling in those parts of the Art which are 
most excellent — as creations of ideal perfection, rather 
than copies of individual Nature, and that the most ele- 
vated conception combined with the most judicious obser- 
vation of character to produce them, we have sufficient 
proof in the works of almost all the ancient writers by 
whom they are mentioned : Phidias himself, is said to have 
confessed, that his idea of Jupiter, was conceived from 
Homer's description of that deity ; and Cicero and Seneca, 
have celebrated these statues as particularly the offspring of 
the sculptor's mind, ungenerated by any external object.* 

* Nee verd ille artifex, quum faceret Jovis formam aut 
Minervae, contemplabatur aliquem e quo similitudinem duce- 
ret ; sed ipsius in mente insidebat species pulchritudinis 
eximia quaedam, quern intuens, in eaque defixus, ad illius 
similitudinem artem et manum dirigebat. 

Cicero, in Bruto. 

The Philosopher indeed, seems but to repeat with more 
point and compression the observation of the Orator. : 

Non vidit Phidias Jovem, fecit tamen, velut tonantem ; 
nee stetit ante oculos ejus Minerva, dignus tamen ilia arte 
animus, et concepit deos et exhibuit. 

Seneca. Rhet. lib. 10, 



104 ELEMENTS OF ART. 

While grace and majesty in every part, 175 

Proclaim'd the bright divinity of Art. 



How far the abilities of Phidias might have operated to 
recommend a combination, in one work, of materials so 
different as ivory and gold, must be now merely subject of 
conjecture ; but accustomed, as we have been, to the purity 
and simplicity of one material, the association of these sub- 
stances, would probably, be thought to add no sculpturesque* 
value to a modern statue. The Greeks however, seem to 
have approved of this intermixture of materials in various 
instances ; and certainly, in matters of Taste, though we 
should not adopt their opinions with servility, we are bound 
to consider them with respect. 

The fate of these ornaments of ancient sculpture, the 
Author believes, has never been decisively ascertained. 
Winckelman states, that Constantinople, amongst many 
other works of ancient Art, possessed, in the eleventh cen. 
tury, the Jupiter of Phidias : and thinks it probable, that 
they were all destroyed at the taking of that city, under 
Badouin, in the thirteenth century. 

Line 176. Proclaimed the bright divinity of Art. ~\ — Though 
the Fine Arts were considered under the general superin- 
tendance of Apollo and the Muses, yet, painting was by 



* As the Author is not quite convinced that he is one of 
thosefor whom " licuit semperque licebit signatum praesenti 



CANTO SECOND. 105 

But now those ancient glories shine no more, 
And Fame records them only to deplore : 
Yet rich in what remains, our humbler days, 
Condemn'd to copy, and content to praise ; 180 

Behold the wealth by wondering ages shared, 
And grateful triumph in what Time has spared. 



the ancients particularly appropriated to Minerva, as 
adding the qualities of wisdom to those of genius, and 
uniting to the most finished dexterity of Art, the most pro- 
found sagacity, of Science. 

Barry, in his " Letter to the Dilettanti Society," enlarges 
a good deal on this subject, and exults with a very justifi- 
able enthusiasm, in the superior estimation which his Art 
experienced among the Greeks ; of which, the appoint- 
ment of Minerva, as its celestial protectress, he considered 
so flattering and irrefragable a proof. 



nota procudere nummum," he would not have hazarded the 
word sculpturesque, however adapted to his purpose, if 
Mr. Knight (whose claim to this Horatian privilege few 
will contest) had not already introduced it to the English 
reader (Analytical Enquiry, &c ), and justly, though per- 
haps sarcastically, pointed out the etymological pretensions 
to our adoption, which, in common with the term pictu- 
resque, it must be considered to possess. 



10(5 ELEMENTS OF ART. 

Lo ! first, where dazzling fair, as poets feign 
The sea-born Goddess blushing from the main, 
When ravish 'd Ocean saw the vision rise, 185 

Stole his last kiss, and gave her to the skies, 
Love's Queen appears; all hearts her sway confess, 
And powerful monarchs plunder, to possess : 
The vulgar trophies of the sword despise, 
And claim a triumph for their Parian prize. 190 



Line 190. And claim a triumph for their Parian prized — 
It has been said, that this statue, which is now placed in the 
magnificent collection of the Louvre, was for a time in the 
possession of some of our countrymen on the Continent ; 
and that measures had been taken, to transport it to Eng- 
land. If this be true, it is not a little mortifying to reflect, 
that we have lost the opportunity of securing so valuable 
a prize ; and that the fortune of war has thrown this un- 
rivalled beauty into the arms of the common ravisher of 
Virtu ; who seems to march a committee of Taste in full 
activity with every division of his army, and to be as 
proud of acquiring a picture or a statue, as a province or a 
state. 

Since the sins of the ancient Romans were to be visited 
upon their posterity, and the sacking of Corinth was to be 
revenged by the plunder of Rome, the author hopes, that 
the morality of Taste will not be much scandalized, if he 
ventures to express some regret, that no part of the spoil 



CANTO SECOND. 107 

Unrivall'd Form ! beyond Circassia's boast! 
Or yet the brighter Fair of Albion's coast ! 
To thee the Bard, as erst on Ida's hill 
Like Paris, would present the apple still ; 



has found its way into the public collections of this coun- 
try. The right of property seems to have been equally 
violated in every transfer of those venerable relics ; and as 
the dominion of Taste, is, in the eye of a Painter, as im- 
portant to our glory, as the dominion of the sea can pos- 
sibly be to our power, in the opinion of the politician ; the 
former may surely be excused, if he cannot see why, " in 
foro conscicnticE)" we might not as justifiably take under 
our protection, the pictures and statues, as the ships and 
stores of our friends, to prevent their being converted to 
the advantage of the common enemy, and to secure the 
superiority of our arts as well as of our arms. 

Had we succeeded in our long projected march to Paris, 
and acquired by the right of conquest, the privilege of 
plundering that general repository of imperial pillage ; the 
Author confesses, that he would have seen with a very pa- 
triotic exultation, a detachment of the committee of Taste 
under some adventurous virtuoso, or a well selected rifle 
corps of the Royal Academy, appointed to invade all the 
recesses of the Louvre — to dislodge its most illustrious in- 
habitants, and as prisoners of war, conduct them to assist 
in adorning the triumph, and advancing the arts of his 
country. 



108 ELEMENTS OF ART. 

His partial eye tho* Painting's glories warm, 195 

And jealous Nature take Olynthia's form. 



Line 195. His partial eye thd' Painting's glories warm ,] 
— Whatever the powers of an Apclles, a Protogenes, or a 
Zeuxis, might have produced to emulate the perfection of 
ancient sculpture ; it must be confessed, that the pencil of 
modern times, has furnished no example of female beauty 
to compare with that which this miracle of Art presents. 
The most exquisite Venus from the hand of Titian, in con- 
ception, form, and character, is much inferior to her marble 
rival, and the " velata species" of the Roman School cer- 
tainly cannot be said to have supplied an instance of more 
successful emulation. To the credit of British Art, it may 
be stated, that, for delicacy of conception, grace of action, 
and purity of design, the Venus rising from the sea by 
Barry, however defective in the other qualities of good 
painting, ranks as high in the scale of competition as any 
production of modern Taste. Some later efforts of living 
artists to express in the female form, % 

" The naked Nature and the living Grace" 
have been eminently successful ; and the Venus perfuming 
her hair from the chissel of the veteran Nollekens, wants 
only the tint of time, and the name of an antique, to be 
classed amongst the purest examples of Grecian Sculpture. 

Line 196. And jealous Nature take Olynthia's form.~\— 
Although the works of Art can never equal those of Na- 
ture, and the most inspired imagination cannot conceive a 



1 CANTO SECOND. 109 

With modest mien the scVreign Beauty stands, 
And seeks to shun the homage she commands, 
Averts her face with such a timid air, 
The marble seems to burn in hlushes there; 200 

While grace and ease in every limb unfold, 
The Paphian fair that fired the world of old. 

Each charm divine that Nature's stores supply, 
To fire the Poet's thought or Painter's eye ; 



beauty beyond the limits of that excellence which her pro- 
ductions display ; yet, in the selection of those parts which 
she offers to our view, we may combine in one object, a 
greater variety of perfections than she is ever found to be- 
stow upon an individual. Though we cannot rival her in 
the parts, we may contend with her in the whole figure. 
Though unable to emulate the lustre of her stars, we may 
arrange our artificial lights in a constellation which shall 
supply, by its collective brilliancy, the deficiency of indi- 
vidual splendour. 

It is only in this view, that the Venus from the hand of 
Art, can be justly preferred to her animated rivals; for, 
however Nature may in parts, occasionally assert her proud 
superiority, yet in no single form perhaps, has she united 
so many beauties, as are to be found in this extraordinary 
example of female symmetry and grace. 



MO , ELEMENTS OF ART, 

Whate'er of Love's elysium Fancy views, 205 

Or Heaven unfolds in vision to the Muse, 

The curious Artist caught, with care combined, 

Fix'd as he found,, and as he wrought refined, 

Till rapt, the wave's proud offspring he outvies, 

And bids a rival from the rock arise. 210 

When Nature, watchful of the process, view'd 

A form so lovely, from a mass so rude ; 

When, in the wond'rous work, she saw her own, 

By Art outdone, and e'en excell'd in stone, 

Amazed, she paused — confess'd the conquering fair, 

Set her bright seal, and stamp'd perfection there. 216 

Yet, while we view those beauties which might move 

Immortal breasts, and warm a world to love, 

No coarse emotions rise, no vulgar fires, 

Profane the sacred passion she inspires; 220 

Each sense refined to rapture as we gaze, 

Like heav'n's pure angels, finds its bliss in praise. 

But see ! where Taste extends her brightest crown, 
Unclaim'd amid the contests of renown ! 
Lost, in the darkest night of time, his name ! 225 

By envious fate, defrauded of his fame, 
The hand divine ! to whose high pow'rs- we owe 
The noblest image of a God below ! 



CANTO SECOND. Ill 

Blight as on Pindus, crown'd by all the Nine, 
Behold Apollo ! Pythian victor shine ! 230 

With holy zeal, in Delphic splendour placed, 
And still revered — an oracle of Taste ! 



Line 228. The noblest image of a God below /] — This 
statue affords a striking instance in corroboration of the 
remark made in a preceding note : it must be confessed, 
that since our limited faculties, for want of nobler con- 
ceptions, can form a God only after man's image, the 
present is the most dignified celestial representative that 
can be found in the general assembly of Virtu. 

In the Arts, the Pagan superstition seems to have been 
more inspiring than the true faith : The divinities of the hea- 
then mythology, however profligate and contemptible they 
appear in the poetry of the Greeks, are certainly very 
prepossessing in their sculpture, and seem a superior race, 
when compared with the super-human characters which 
have been produced by the plastic piety of the Christian 
world. 

If Homer and other ancient Bards, had shewn as much 
skill and judgment, in describing the moral attributes of 
their divinities, as the Grecian Artists have displayed in 
representing their personal characteristics, we should have 
formed a much more respectable idea of the " Olympian 
Synod," and our critics would have been spared the trouble 
of many a dull dissertation, to reconcile to common poeti- 
cal propriety, a number of mythological absurdities; which, 



112 ', ELEMENTS OF ART. 

He owns full tribute to his godhead given. 
And finds on earth the homage feign'd in heav'n. 
Not with more awful grace, as sung of yore, 235 

The God himself his golden quiver bore; 



to use the expression of Johnson, appear in the eye of 
common sense, a too glaring for detection, and too gross 
for aggravation." 

The Apollo Belvidere now forms one of the most promi- 
nent features in the collection of the Louvre. It is placed 
very conspicuously, at the head of the apartment which 
bears its name (Salle d'Apollon). and seems to preside with 
a u dignity divine" over the marble multitude, by which it 
is surrounded. 

This statue is stated to have been found at the close of 
the fourteenth century, about twelve leagues from Rome, 
amongst the ruins of the ancient city of Antium. It appears 
to be in excellent preservation ; the left hand, and part of 
the right arm have been supplied by Giovanni Angelo da 
Mentersoli, a pupil of Buonaroti ; but the name of the 
ancient sculptor is unknown. 

Winckelman gives what he calls a description of the 
Apollo, in which he works hard, 

" To be himself the great sublime he draws." 

Pope. 

He indeed labours in such a poetical extacy, that he almost 
" assumes the God," and seems half inclined to rival the 



CANTO SECOND. H3 

When, o'er the Grecian host, in shafts of fire, 

He pour'd swift vengeance at his priest's desire ; 

Erect his mien, with ease, the silver bow 

Has just let fly its terrors on the foe ; 240 



object of his enthusiasm, not only in his personal dignity, 
but in his prophetic character.* 

In a happy strain of discriminative criticism, which has 
made him the oracle of travelling connoisseurs, and the 
manual of picture-dealers, he points out a variety of ex- 
pressions, as incompatible with each other, as inconsistent 
with that unity and simplicity of character, which is the 
peculiar excellence of ancient Art. " Le dedain" says he, 
among other observations, " siege sur ses levres, Vindigna- 
tion qu'il respire gonfle ses narines et monte jusqu'a ses 
sourcils, mais une paix inalterable est empreinte sur son front 
et son ceil est plein de douceur, comme s'il etoit au milieu des 
Muses empressees a lui prodiguer leurs caresses/' Here we 
have disdain seated on his lips, while indignation distending 
his nostrils, mounts upward to the eye-brows : at this point 
however, it is checked in its progress, by a forehead of un- 



* A l'aspect de ce prodige de l'Art j'oublie tout l'uni- 
vers ; je prens moi-meme une -position plus noble pour le con- 

templer avec dignite. Saisis de respect, je sens ma poi- 

trine qui se dilate et s* Sieve, sentiment qui eprouvent ceux qui 
sont remplis de V esprit des propheties. 

I 



114 ELEMENTS OF ART. 

While, with triumphant step, and eager eye, 

He forward moves to see the monster die, 

Majestic rising from its ample base, 

The polish'd neck uniting strength and grace. 

Bears the bright head aloft, and seems to shine, 245 

The column of a capital divine! 



alterable peace. But although indignation has ascended as 
far as the eye-brow, it seems to have had no effect upon 
the eye, which is supposed, in ordinary cases, to be some- 
what concerned in the expression of that passion ; for we 
are told, that the eye of this disdainful, indignant, and yet 
tranquil deity, is as full of sweetness, as if he was repre- 
sented ogling his favourite Muses at a Parnassian coterie. 

- The following pompous account of the inauguration of 
the Apollo in the Louvre, by Buonaparte, will not per- 
haps be uninteresting to the reader, as it affords a striking 
instance of the policy with which this crafty conqueror en- 
deavours, like another Augustus, to conceal under the 
mask of liberality and patronage, the deformity of his 
usurpation, and entwines the shackles of tyranny with the 
roses of Taste. 

u Le 16 Brumairc, an 9, le Premier Consul Bonaparte, 
accompagne du Consul Lebrun, et du Conseiller d'Etat 
Benezech, a fait l'inauguration de l'Apollon, et a cette oc- 
casion il a placee entre la plinthe de la Statue et son 
piedestal, l'inscription suivante, gravee sur une table de 



CANTO SECOND. 115 

In each light limb elastic vigour proves, 

A power immortal, and in marble moves ; 

A form divine, to heav'n's proportions just ! 

In grandeur graceful, as in grace august ! 250 

By Taste restored, on some celestial plan, 

Drawn from the great original of man : 

A cast recover'd of that mould divine, 

That stamp'd heaven's image strong in every line, 

When first as earth received him and revered, 255 

The " paragon of animals" appear'd ! 



bronze, qui lui a ete presentee par TAdministrateur et par 
le Citoyen Vien au nom des Artistes." 

M La Statue d' Apollon^ qui s'eleve sur ce piedestal, 
" trouvee a Antium sur la fin du quinzieme siecle, 
u placee au Vatican par Jules II. au commencement du 
ci sixieme siecle, 
u conquise Tan 5 de la Republique par l'armee d' Italic 
" sous les ordres du General Bonaparte, 
" a ete fixee ici le 21 Germinal, an 8, 
K premiere annee de son consulat." 
Au revers est cette autre inscription. 

u Bonaparte l r Consul. 

" Cambaceres 2 de Cousul. 

" Lebrun 3 e Consul. 

u Lucien Bonaparte, Ministre de l'Interieur." 



116 ELEMENTS OF ART. 

Great shade of Genius ! still decreed to raise 
Our pride and wonder, yet elude our praise ! 
Say, from the skies, where'er by Phidias placed, 
Thou takest high station 'mongst the sons of Taste, 
While seraphs round, celestial wreaths bestow, 261 
And hymn above thy name, unknown below ; 
Say, dost thou, pleased, from heaven's immortal bowers, 
Behold on earth the triumph of thy powers ? 
Thy toil enshrined in Glory's temple view, 265 

Through every age the idol of Virtu ? 
How oft ! as o'er the waste of ages cast, 
The light of learning seem'd to shew the past ! 
Has pious zeal exploring sought to raise 
Thy reverend image to our mental gaze ; 270 

To rescue from oblivion's tide thy name, 
And stamp it radiant on the rolls of Fame : 
But vain the search, thou like a God dost shine, 
On earth unknown, but in thy work divine. 

Nor less in characters of mortal mould, 275 

The powers of Greece transcendent we behold ; 
The sage's, patriot's forms, attest her skill, 
And all her godlike heroes triumph still. 
See ! on his club reclined, Alcides stand ! 
Holding the Hesperian plunder in his hand ; 280 



CANTO SECOND. 117 

While slow relaxing, each charged muscle shews 
A strength divine subsiding to repose. 

Line 279. See I on his club reclined, Alcides stand /] — The 
fine cast of the Hercules, in the hall of the Royal Academy, 
if it could be seen, would enable the public to form a very 
just idea of this noble monument of ancient art : but in its 
present buried state, it can neither be considered useful nor 
ornamental. That it should be so placed as to assist the 
purposes of study, and add a little dignity to the scanty ma- 
terials of improvement which the Academy possesses, was 
for some time a favourite object with Sir Joshua Reynolds, 
and according to the evidence of Barry, occupied his 
thoughts even in his last illness. There is perhaps no 
member of that Institution so insensible to the interests o* 
his Art, as not to have cordially co-operated with him for 
this purpose, if by his assistance it could have been effected ; 
but unfortunately, the Academy is lodged with so much 
more splendour than convenience, that there is not an ap- 
propriate place, in which this Colossal figure could be depo- 
sited with safety to the floors of the building, and at the 
same time, with advantage to the views of the establish- 
ment. 

Thus, this renowned hero, who might be so beneficially 
employed in assisting to destroy the monsters of bad taste, 
which infest the various provinces of Virtu, is reduced to a 
state of inglorious inutility, and condemned to dwell in a 
dungeon, lest, like Sampson of old, he might pull the house 
down about his ears. 



118 ELEMENTS OF ART, 

Whate'er of wond'rous might in mortal frame, 

Remotest legends have transferr'd to Fame, 

The god-like shape surpasses, and appears, 285 

With Atlas, worthy to sustain the spheres : 

Or, cope with him, in holy writ renown'd, 

Who shook the towers of Gaza to the ground. 

Yet not th* enormous mass of moulded stone, 
Deludes the eye, impress'd by size alone ; 290 

Proportioned vigour proves in every part, 
The Statue's symmetry, the Sculptor's art: 
Were such indeed, the Hero famed of old ! 
Did every limb such wonderous powers unfold ! 
The Poets rll express a force so great, 295 

And for his labours — leisure sports relate. 

Nor, Apollonius! shall thy pride remain 
Unhonour'd in the tributary strain : 
Tho' Time remorseless, every member spoil, 
And mutilation mar thy matchless toil, 300 

The mighty fragment shall thy skill proclaim, 
And grateful Taste still guarantee thy fame. 

Line 302. And grateful Taste still guarantee thyfame.~\ — 
A rival of this celebrated piece of scultpure ? both in muti- 



CANTO SECOND. 119 

Yet Sculpture justly might the strain accuse, 
That could to Laocoon the wreath refuse; 
For 'mongst her wonders were a choice confess'd, 305 
And one bright toil distinguish'd from the rest, 



lation and merit, has lately excited the curiosity and admi- 
ration of the critical world, in the metropolis. The figure 
of Theseus, one of the fragments of Grecian art, which have 
been rescued by the taste and enterprise of Lord Elgin, 
from the ruins of the temple of Minerva at Athens, con- 
tests the palm with the production of Apollonius, and 
seems to have gained over the connoisseur at least, if not 
the Artist, to a preference of his pretension. 

We must however, make some allowance for the enthu- 
siasm of Taste, and the impression of novelty : he must be 
a sturdy connoisseur upon whom the name of Phidias has 
no effect ; and who does not find the " disjecta membra 
poetce," even in the rudest relics of Athenian art. 

Lord Elgin's marbles however, are all of them suffici- 
ently interesting in their authenticity, and most of tlrem in 
their merit, to excite the attention of the public, and form 
a valuable accession to the scanty stock of Grecian sculp- 
ture which we possess. There is hardly an object in the 
collection, by which either curiosity or Taste may not be 
informed or gratified ; and the Author confesses himself to 
be one of those, who think, that the noble proprietor de- 
serves well of the Arts, for their introduction to the country. 
We should not however, permit our raptures to outrun 



120 ELEMENTS OF ART. 

Perhaps, though long deciding, we might claim, 
For him, the proud pre-eminence of Fame. 
Expression there displays her utmost art, 
And pleases while she penetrates the heart ; 310 

our discretion : there is no occasion to praise them at the 
expense of productions, with which, to force a comparison 
seems as injudicious as unnecessary ; and perhaps, it would 
be prudent to suffer the fervour of our admiration to cool a 
little, before we crown the brows, even of Theseus himself, 
with those wreaths which are to be plucked from the Torso, 
the Hercules, and the Laocoon. 

Line 308. For him, the proud pre-eminence of Fame. ~] — 
Pliny speaking of the Laocoon, which he mentions as then 
in the palace of the Emperor Titus, u qui est in Titi Impe- 
ratoris domo," calls it u opus omnibus et picturae et statu- 
ariae preferendum," and describes the whole groupe as the 
production of Agisander and his two sons, Athenodorus 
and Apollodorus. 

They who have had an opportunity of examining this ex- 
traordinary work, however they may dissent from the abso- 
lute and unqualified preference, which Pliny gives to it, 
will certainly not be much surprised at it; for although in 
sublimity of character, and dignity of expression, some 
other examples of Grecian Art, may possibly be considered 
superior, yet, in every other quality of Sculpture, intel- 
lectual or mechanical, the Author confesses that he consi- 
ders it unrivalled. 
Like the Apollo, this groupe is now placed, as the prin- 



CANTO SECOND. 121 

The Father's woes, such strong emotions raise, 
That powerful sympathy suppresses praise ; 
The subject still obtains the Sculptor's boon, 
And Agisander's lost in Laocoon. 



cipal object in an apartment of the Louvre, called u Salle 
de Laocoon ;" and from the extraordinary boldness and 
freedom of its execution, it appears to surpass the casts and 
copies that have been made from it, in a greater degree 
than any of the great works by which it is surrounded. 

The time and place of its discovery, with other particu- 
lars respecting it, are to be learned from Winckelman ; 
who in describing it, indulges all his enthusiasm, and more 
than his usual discrimination. 

The following may serve as a specimen : 

11 La tendresse paternelle de Laocoon se manifeste dans 
ses regards languissans : la compassion paroit nager sur ses 
prunelles comme une sombre vapeur. Sa physionomie ex- 
prime les plaintes et non pas les cris. Ses yeux diriges vers 
le ciel, implorent P assistance supreme. Sa bouche respire la 
langueur, et la lev re injerieure qui descend en est accablee ; 
mais dans la levre superieure qui est tiree en haut, cette lan- 
gueur est jointe a une sensation douloureuse. La souffrance 
melee d'indignation sur Vinjuste chatimens^ remonte jus- 
qu'au neZ) le gonflc, et eclate dans les narines, elonges et ex- 
hausses. Au-dessous du front est rendu avec la plus grande 
sagacite ; le combat entre la douleur et la resistance^ qui sont 
comme reunies en un point : car pendant que celle-la fait 



122 ELEMENTS OF ART. 

What mortal pangs the impassion'd stone reveals ! 
The tortured frame through every fibre feels ! 316 
While curling close around, in fatal folds, 
His hapless prey the monster Serpent holds, 



remonter les sourcils^ celle-ci comprime les chairs du haut de 
l'ceil, et les fait descendre vers la paupiere superieure qui en 
est presque toute couverte." 

No sentimental dissector of mixed passion, in a dilettanti 
delirium, ever surpassed this exquisite specimen of profound 
criticism and appropriate panegyric. The tortures pro- 
duced by the serpents, are nothing compared with those 
which Laocoon suffers from the Connoisseur. Every fea- 
ture is put to the rack of expression, and compelled to play 
an independent part in the general scuffle of conflicting 
emotion. The eyes in particular are obliged to perform 
double duty ; for, not to dwell on the " paternal tenderness 
in languishing looks," they are made to express at once 
pity for his children, and to implore it for himself; languor 
depresses one lip, and by the help of a painful sensation, 
draws up the other, while agony and indignation take pos- 
session of the nose : no ordinary common-place indigna- 
tion ; but an intelligent explanatory passion that announces 
the cause while it exhibits the effect. The forehead, or 
rather under the forehead, is a field of battle, in which is 
displayed with the greatest sagacity, the combat between 
pain and resistance, the one manoeuvring the eye-brows, 
and the other the eye-lids, through the most approved evo« 
lutions of agony and grimace. 



CANTO SECOND. 123 

Grace finds a wreath in agony severe, 

And pain and terror picturesque appear. 320 

What wonders still the stores of Greece display ! 
What crowding deities demand the lay ! 



Line 320. And pain and terror picturesque appear. ~\ — 
There is no principle in the Arts more important than that 
which requires us to select for imitation such subjects only, 
as are calculated to present on the whole, an agreeable 
object to the spectator. Whatever the eye would turn 
from with aversion or disgust, is unfit for the pencil, and 
may be said to succeed the w orse for being well repre- 
sented, 

K Ne pueros coram populo Medea trucidet," 
is a precept of Taste as applicable to the graphic as the 
poetic stage. 

Nor need the painter fear, that an adherence to this rule, 
would weaken the impression of his productions, or re- 
strain him in the exercise of the higher powers of his art. 
It is not necessary to wound the feelings, in order to 
awaken them — to tear the string, in order to make it vi- 
brate with effect. We must distinguish between a power- 
ful, and a painful sensation, and not mistake the inhuman 
and the horrible, for the affecting and the sublime. 

To paint a beautiful female with a sword plunged into 
her breast, and sticking in the ensanguined wound, affords 
an object as little pathetic, as it is picturesque : it is re- 



124 ELEMENTS OF ART. 

What forms of mythologic glory rise, 

To justify the pride of Pagan skies ! 

In every attribute of Beauty glow, 3 C 25 

And grace the elysium of Virtu below ! 



volting alike to sensibility and taste, and however skilfully 
executed, can produce no other feelings, than those of 
horror and aversion. Yet two great artists, Correggio 
and Domenichino, have chosen to represent a circumstance 
of this kind, in two celebrated works ; St. Placide, by the 
former, and the Martyrdom of St. Agnes, by the latter. 
Rubens also, in his picture of the Crucifixion, has exhi- 
bited the Soldier, at the moment when he is thrusting the 
spear into the body of Christ. 

The feelings of an Artist, if not his taste, should prevent 
him from dwelling on a subject of this kind, and convince 
him in time, of the injudiciousness of his choice, in its 
adoption. The most formidable terrors and affecting cir- 
cumstances of the Painter and the Poet, must be invested 
with a charm, sufficiently powerful to make us contemplate 
them with pleasure, and quit them with regret. 

The ancients seem to have been more impressed by this 
principle than the moderns. They seldom weakened the 
effect of their skill, by an injudicious choice of their sub- 
ject. They sweetened strong emotion to the palate of Sen- 
sibility and Taste, and strewed the wildest regions of pity 
and terror with the flowers of instruction and delight. 

Their Sculptors in particular, were scrupulously attentive 



CANTO SECOND. 125 

But vain the task ! beyond the Muse's boast ! 
To trace Art's triumphs through the heathen host, - 
Or, mark what varied traits, in every line, 
Discriminate their qualities divine. 330 



to this prime law of their art : with them every consider- 
ation was subordinate to the production of beauty, and the 
preservation of character : action was never urged to dis- 
tortion, nor expression aggravated to grimace. 

One of the strongest examples of their excellence in this 
respect, is to be found in the Statue mentioned in the text. 
The most powerful emotions of the soul are in this work 
represented with the least possible sacrifice of form or 
grace. The most afflicting circumstances are so judiciously 
displayed, that while they excite our sympathy, they also 
extort our admiration. Laocoon expresses his sufferings 
strongly, but not ungracefully. His features, though agi- 
tated, are not deformed ; and though every limb is affected 
by the anguish which he endures, there are no awkward 
contractions of impatient violence, or vulgar gesticulation. 

The observations of Winckelman upon the Laocoon, and 
indeed upon every other work of Taste which he describes, 
are in the highest style of that penetrating class of critics, 
who unacquainted with the real powers of the art about 
which they treat, are always sure to see much more than 
their author intended, or than his work could possibly ex- 
press. His admiration delights to dwell in little distinctions, 
and delicate discriminations ; he loses sight of the leading 



126 ELEMENTS OF ART. 

As when disaster'd on Norwegia's strand 
The wreck of some proud galley floats to land, 
The rude inhabitants with rapture save 
Each shatter'd fragment wafted on the wave, 



sentiment — the grand character which the Artist has im- 
pressed upon his work, to follow the refinements of imagi- 
nary emotion, in the corner of a mouth, or the cut of an 
eye-brow. He gravely parcels out the face like a map of 
the passions — finds in every feature a different sentiment, 
and thinks, when he has set them all at variance, that he has 
pronounced a panegyric on the whole. 

Criticism in the hands of Winckelman, and those who 
resemble him, is precisely that which has been so well de- 
scribed by La Bruyere : " La critique souvent n'est pas 
une science : c'est un metier ou il faut plus de sante que 

d'esprit, plus de travail que de capacite, plus d'habitude 

que de genie." 

The mortifying deceptions which were passed upon him, 
for the purpose of exposing his presumption, had little 

effect in repressing it. He was to the last the " mighty 

Scholiast of Taste, 

« that awful Aristarch, 

u Whose front was plough'd with many a deep remark;" 

Pope. 

before whom the artist and the connoisseur were alike 

dismayed and discomfited. By the fiat of absolute authority 

he divided the whole empire of Virtu, assigning the province 



CANTO SECOND. 127 

And think, while grateful for the wealth supplied, 335 
What better stores lie buried in the tide. 
Thus, from the wreck of years, a sacred prize ! 
The rich remains of ancient Art arise ; 



of Genius to his friend Mengs the painter, and reserving the 
department of Taste for himself. 

The wonders of mixed passion may be said to be the rock 
upon which the mere critic in Art is always sure to split ; 
and an ambition to display great delicacy of discrimination 
on this subject, seems to have been as much the characte- 
ristic of the ancient as the modern dilettanti. Pliny, who, 
whatever may be thought of him as a philosopher, must 
certainly be considered rather credulous as a connoisseur, 
relates some curious instances of the power of expression 
which have not been surpassed by the fanciful refinements 
of modern Taste. 

A statue of Paris, by Euphranor, particularly, he de- 
scribes as so miraculously expressive, not only of the prin- 
cipal qualities of that gallant Trojan, but even of the most 
conspicuous occurrences of his life, that you might disco- 
ver in him at once, the judge of the three Goddesses, the lover 
of Helen, and the slayer of Achilles. Euphranoris Alex- 
ander Paris, est, in qua laudatur quod omnia simul intelli- 
gantur; judex dearum, amator Helenae, et tamen Achillis 
interfector." Winckelman, whose faith in the miracles of 
ancient Art, is edifying to the whole community of criticism, 
relates this without a commenl of surprise or iucredulity. 



128 ELEMENTS OF ART. 

And while in wonder wrapt, our ruder age, 
The trophies of the Grecian world engage, 340 

We judge what splendours must her prime have graced, 
When these are but the fragments of her Taste. 



An eminent poet of the present day, Mr. Hayley, has not 
carried his devotion quite so far ; in his u Essay on Sculp- 
ture," he mentions this paragon of expression, as recorded 
by Pliny, and states that the French Sculptor Falconet 
censures that author for his description of it ; adding also 
with a modest reserve, not common amongst those who 
treat of matters of Taste en amateur , " whether justly or 
not, let Artists decide.' 9 

The right of judgment, which in this instance, Mr. 
Hayley grants to Artists, will probably be considered by 
connoisseurs more confident, if not more competent, as a 
very indiscreet concession. The Winckelmans and the 
Webbs, will certainly protest against such an unguarded 
surrender of their critical privileges ; and indeed, as Artists 
commonly betray the most provoking insensibility to those 
indefinable perfections which critics discover so easily, and 
feel so exquisitely in the productions of the ancients ; it is 
more than probable, that were they impannelled to try the 
cause, u Falconet versus Pliny," the Roman Connoisseur 
would be cast by a professional verdict. 

It must not be concealed however, that the critics, with 
respect to this question, have an authority on their side, of 
which they have some reason to be proud. A late learned 



CANTO SECOND. 129 

Touch gently as thou fliest, O Time ! with care 
Approach those precious relics — prize and spare. 

Professor of Painting, in the Royal Academy, has, ex officio, 
taken the field, in defence of Pliny, and broken a lance 
with Sir Joshua Reynolds. 

The Professor charges the President with giving a para- 
phrase of the passage in Pliny, and a lending to it the mix- 
tures he disapproves." The reader will have perceived, 
from the quotation above given, that Pliny states three 
distinct characters to have been expressed in the statue 
of Paris : the judge of the three Goddesses, the lover of 
Helen, and the slayer (or if the Professor thinks the 
term more accurate,) the murderer of Achilles. As charac- 
ter can be traced in a work of Art or Nature, only from the 
presence of its peculiar indications, Reynolds supposes, that 
where the three characters above mentioned, were disco- 
verable, they must have been expressed by " stately dig- 
nity, stern valour, and youthful elegance." The President 
has not perhaps, been very discriminative in the selection 
of those qualities ; for the gallant umpire of the three rival 
Beauties, does not require to be represented with the 
stately dignity of a judge on the bench ; neither is stern 
valour the appropriate indication of the slayer of Achilles. 
The u mixtures" of the President therefore, are certainly 
not made up according to the recipe of Pliny, but they 
will not become much more palatable by the correction of 
the Professor ; for it is not easy to see what is gained 
towards the defence of Pliny, by substituting the traits of 
a murderer for the characteristics of a conqueror. When the 

K 



130 ELEMENTS OF ART. 

Long as thy course hath been, since first began 345 
The reign of Nature, and the race of man ; 

Professor himself however, tries his hand at a " mixture," 
he certainly surpasses the ancient and modern critic, as 
much in the number of his ingredients, as in the skill 
with which they are compounded : for he supposes acute 
inspection, dignified deliberation , and enamoured eagerness com- 
bined in this extraordinary statue, with the indications of 
desertion^ seduction, and assassination. 

u The acute inspector, the elegant umpire of female 
form, receiving the contested pledge with a dignified pause, 
or with enamoured eagerness , presenting it to the arbitress 
of his destiny, was probably the predominant idea of the 
figure : whilst the deserter of iEonone, the seducer of 
Helen, the subtle archer ^ that future murderer of Achilles, 
lurked under the insidious eye-brow, and in the penetrating 
glance of Beauty's chosen minion. 

a Such appeared to me the character and expression of 
the sitting Paris in the voluptuous Phrygian dress, formerly 
in the cortile of the palace Altheims at Rome." 

Fuzeli's Lectures, page 48 

To consider the various instances in which imaginary 
and often incompatible perfections have been discovered in 
celebrated productions, by ancient as well as modern cri- 
tics, would too much extend the limits of this note : but 
the Author cannot forbear to mention another of Pliny's 
wonders, which has excited the exclamatory raptures of that 
U second Daniel" in discriminative criticism — Mr. Webb. 

Pliny, speaking of Aristides, says " Hujus pictura est 



CANTO SECOND. 131 

Say,through the world's wide circuit, say, if aught 
E'er char in 'd thine eye, to such perfection wrought ! 



©ppido capto, ad matris morientis e vulnere mammarn adre- 
pens infans : intelligiturque sentire mater, et timere, ne 
emortuo lacte sanguinem infans lambat." Thus translated by 
Mr. Webb. " By him (Aristides) was painted a town 
taken by storm, in which was seen an infant creeping to the 
breast of its mother, who, though expiring from her xvounds, 
yet expresses an apprehension and fear least the course of her 
milk being stopt, the child should suck her blood." 

This must certainly be considered the most extraordinary 
achievement in the way of expression, that is to be found 
in the records of criticism. The political significance of 
Burleigh 1 s nod, in M the Critic," fails on a comparison with 
such a prodigy of prospective emotion — cause and effect — ex- 
isting circumstances, and contingent consequences — all com- 
bined in one point of pathetic pungency — mixed up in a 
physiognomical melange for the gratification of refined feel- 
ing and pure taste. 

If the senile Professors — the mere mechanics of modern 
times, were but competent to " enter thus feelingly into the 
inmost workings of the human soul," were but gifted with 
a little of that discriminating sagacity, of which connois- 
seurs of Mr. Webb's calibre are always found to have so 
much, what wonders might we not behold performed upon 
M the human face divine !" To read the eyes would be no 
longer a figurative expression ; we should have a process 



132 ELEMENTS OF ART. 

And thou, blind Chance ! eventful power ! whose sway, 
Disordering life, sublunar things obey ; 350 



of reasoning carried on in wrinkles, features drawing 
inferences, assents in smiles, and negatives in frowns; we 
should find muscles making metaphysical distinctions, de- 
licate emotions dimpling in all directions, and prophetic 
passions announcing in premature agonies, conjectural 
events and contingent consequences. 

Those nice distinctions, and imaginary shades of ex- 
pression are the favourite common-places of vulgar pane- 
gyric, and always over-run the writings of those who 
describe in a work of Art, not what they see or feel, but 
what they think may best become their penetration to dis- 
cover, and their eloquence to express. 

The painter who wanders in the maze of mixed passion 
will find, that all the clues of criticism are inadequate to 
extricate him. If he consults Nature more accurately, he 
will perceive that he has mistaken a rapid succession of 
emotions for their simultaneous existence, and that to 
render one strong expression with effect, will sufficiently 
employ all the powers, and answer all the purposes of his 
art. 

Line 248. E'er charm' d thine eye, to such perfection wrought /] 
— If perfection could be supposed to exist in any of the 
productions of man, the Sculpture of the ancient Greeks, 
would appear to have the best claim to that character. 
If any of the works of Art could be allowed to super- 



CANTO SECOND. 1S3 



Thee too, the Muse, could aught of pray'r revoke 
Thy random rage, or stay thy sudden stroke, 



cede in our studies the necessity of resorting to Nature, 
or deserve to be established as a standard of Beauty and 
of Truth, preferable to that which her varied excellence 
supplies, their finest statues might justly aspire to exercise 
such an influence, and to be honoured with such a dis- 
tinction. 

When the end proposed in their sculpture is compared 
with the means of effecting it which they possessed, it will 
be difficult (according to the Author's conception) to pro- 
duce an instance, throughout the whole circle of human 
ingenuity, in which the powers of Genius have been exer- 
cised with such striking success ; or in which the materials 
offered by Nature to the hand of Art, have been used with 
a selection so discriminating, an application so appropriate, 
and a science so enlightened and profound. 

The poetry of Homer has perhaps, enjoyed the admira- 
tion of mankind, in a greater degree than any other pro- 
duction of human genius ; all ages and countries to which 
the light of learning has extended, have admitted its supe- 
riority, and united in its praise ; and some pedantic enthu- 
siasts, not content with ascribing to it every literary 
excellence, have gone so far as to affect to discover in it, 
4he principles of every Art and Science. Yet, notwith- 
standing the pre-eminent merits of Homer, and the univer- 
sal applauses which they have excited, the Author conceives, 



134 ELEMENTS OF ART, 

Would pray forbear, nor with rude hand deface 
What ages can't supply , nor Art replace. 

Hail, awful Shade ! that o'er the mould'ring urn 355 
Of thy departed greatness lovest to mourn ; 



that he must have something like the devotion of a Dacier, 
who can consider the Iliad or the Odyssey as examples of 
perfect composition ; or who does not discover in them, 
defects, which, only our veneration for antiquity could 
approve or excuse. 

The perfection which is not to be found in Homer, will 
be sought for in vain, amongst his imitators and successors ; 
and the annals of poetry, considered without prejudice, do 
not offer to our view any example of such unqualified ex- 
cellence, as to preclude the hope of further improvement, 
or prevent the expectation, that Genius may advance in 
the future, upon the eminence of the past. 

The Arts of design in modern times, although they display 
a proficiency which claims our warmest panegyric, cannot 
be considered as having a claim to the character of per- 
fection; for without putting their best examples in compe- 
tition with the works of the ancients, we have only to 
look round us upon the beauties of Nature, in order to be 
convinced of their defects, even while we are made sensible 
of their merits. 

To the wonders of ancient sculpture only, can be attri- 
buted that finished excellence, in which the art of man 



CANTO SECOND. 135 

Deploring deep the waste where, once unfurl'd, 
Thy ensigns glitter'd o'er a wond'ring world. 
Spirit of ancient Greece ! whose form sublime, 
Gigantic striding, walks the waves of Time ; 360 



appears to have touched the utmost limits of exertion, and 
to triumph in the full accomplishment of its object. 

The severest scrutiny of their pretensions, tends but the 
more firmly to secure to them our admiration, and the im- 
pressions of our sensibility are strengthened by the results of 
our reflection. The more we try them by the standard of 
Nature, the more we are astonished at the skill and success 
with which her most exquisite charms have been selected 
and combined ; leaving nothing to be added by emulation, 
or desired by Taste. 

Who, that contemplates the Apollo, or the Venus, the 
Hercules or the Laocoon, the Gladiator or the Antinous, can 
point out a means of their improvement, or entertain a hope 
to see them surpassed I They rise above our highest mea- 
sures of sublimity and grace ; they exceed our most studied 
conceptions of character and proportion, and satisfy the 
imagination in its warmest visions of human beauty. Before 
them, criticism subsides into admiration, ambition is awed 
to despondency, and even Genius is humbled to imitation. 

Let it not be supposed, that the veneration which the 
Author expresses for those great works, is inconsistent 
with that freedom of taste which he is as ambitious to che- 
rish, as he is, he fears, inadequate to recommend. A just 



136 ELEMENTS OF ART. 

Whose voice from out the tomb of ages came, 
And fired mankind to freedom and to fame : 
Beneath thy sway how life's pure flame aspired ! 
How Genius kindled, and how Glory fired ! 



sensibility to their excellence, must be distinguished from a 
blind submission to their authority : he would revere them 
as examples, but not be bound by them as precedents : he 
admits their influence, but not their prerogative : he will 
bow in voluntary homage with learning and science, but 
he disclaims the servility of vassalage, and would repel the 
compulsion of criticism. 

The Author's panegyric however, must be understood, as 
applicable only to the productions of the first class of ancient 
sculpture : the examples of the second order which have 
descended to us, though wrought upon the same principles 
of taste which carried the former to such perfection, are 
greatly inferior to them, and have been not only equalled, 
but surpassed by the ability of latter times. As to that mass 
of mediocrity which passes under the general name of 
antiques, much of it is of modern manufacture, and, most of 
it possesses no other character of interest, than as it tends to 
illustrate the history of ancient art, and affords to the pe- 
dantry of criticism, an opportunity of displaying how much 
deep erudition may consist with little judgment and less 
taste. 

The genius of modern times is oppressed beneath this 
load of ancient lumber : it occupies, to the exclusion of 



CANTO SECOND. 137 

How Taste, refining sense — exalting soul, 365 

Enfranchised mind from passion's coarse control ! 

Aroused to deeds, by heav'n and earth revered., 

While all the majesty of man appear d. 

How vast our debt to thee, immortal Pow'r ! 

Our widow'd world subsists but on thy dower; 370 



worthier objects, the time and the attention of the con- 
noisseur, who prefers the hortus siccus of Virtu, to the 
living luxuriance of Art ; and thinks, that he compensates 
for the coldness and insensibility with which he regards the 
merits of the present age, by the rapturous avidity with 
which he collects and venerates the rubbish of the past. 

Line 369. How vast our debt to thee, immortal Pow'r !] — 
The more we consider the history, or contemplate the pro- 
ductions of the Greeks, the stronger seem to be the claims 
of that extraordinary race upon our respect and admiration. 
They may be said to be the first people who raised to their 
just estimation the qualities of mind, and turning from 
the gross allurements of power and fortune, paid homage 
to Genius and Virtue. 

Amongst them, man appears to have assumed his most 
exalted character — to have worn the noblest aspect of his 
nature, and put forth the most comprehensive powers of 
his soul. The extent to which latter ages have profited by 
their means, it is scarcely possible to calculate, for where 
they are not our immediate, they will be often found our 



138 ELEMENTS OF ART, 

Like Caria's queen, our relict ages raise 
But monumental trophies to thy praise ! 



remote instructors, and when we do not receive the direct 
ray, we are enlightened by the reflection. 

Their knowledge, like a mighty river, has flowed down 
upon the modern world, fertilizing all the regions of 
Genius, and feeding even those springs which have been 
supposed the most independent of such a supply. Through- 
out the whole progress of our civilization, we trace the 
agency of their principles, or the influence of their ex- 
ample ; and whatever we cultivate, the best fruits of the 
garden are those which have contracted their flavour, or 
have grown upon their stock. In arts, politics, and litera- 
ture, they have been the great masters of mankind. 

But, however important our obligations to their genius 
in the other departments of knowledge, it is in the pur- 
suits of Taste that we are most conspicuously their debtors. 
Here it is ! that they have established an ascendancy which 
remains unshaken by time ; while ages of ambition and 
exertion on our part, have left us still, their distant imita- 
tors, and humble dependants. 

Their rapid progress and unrivalled excellence in the 
Arts, have been often the objects of enquiry, and might 
well merit more elucidation than can be displayed within 
the compass of a note ; for to discover the causes of their 
pre-eminence, is to account for our own inferiority, and 



CANTO SECOND. 139 

Lo ! from the ashes of thy arts arise, 
Those phoenix fires that glitter in our skies ; 



the first step towards a cure, is to ascertain the nature of 
the disease. 

As far however, as the Author is acquainted with the 
researches of the curious, and the labours of the learned 
on this subject, he is disposed to think, that too much 
stress has been laid on causes which appear to be doubtful, 
indirect, or inadequate, and too little, on those which he 
considers direct, invariable, and effectual. Reasons have 
been sought for, not so much where they were to be found, 
as where we wished to find them — more to suit a theory, 
than to settle the truth. 

Thus, all the changes have been rung upon the climate, 
the government, the religion, and the athletic exercises of 
the Greeks ; as if they were the only people that ever 
enjoyed the benefit of a warm sun, or a free system — that 
ever attempted to make images of their Gods, or could 
boast an opportunity of observing a naked limb, or a mus- 
cular form. 

That the local, political, and religious circumstances of 
the ancients, have had an influence to a certain extent, 
and may have afforded considerable facilities to the cul- 
tivation of the Arts, the Author is by no means inclined to 
deny. He cannot however, agree in the opinion which 
allows them an agency so important as that which has been 
usually ascribed to them. He thinks that the extraordinary 



140 ELEMENTS OF ART. 

Thy sun, long set, still lends a twilight ray, 375 

That cheers our colder clime, and darker day ; 



superiority of the Greeks in every department of Taste, 
cannot be satisfactorily traced to these sources, and believes 
that the operation of agents less noticed, has been much 
more effective in producing it. 

The question of climate has been discussed by abler pens ; 
and luckily, although it may be thought of some conse- 
quence, whether we exercise our faculties in the torrid or 
the frigid zone, yet, the edifying speculations of those 
weather-wise philosophers, who regulate by the barometer 
the gradations of wit, and will allow no flower of Taste to 
bloom in a cold atmosphere, or a cloudy sky, are now too 
generally rejected to require a remark or a refutation. 

That the Arts flourish, only under a free government, is 
an opinion, not so easy to establish as it is agreeable to 
maintain. The Author, as a friend to freedom, would be 
pleased to find the position confirmed by experience ; and 
would see with pride the cap of liberty exclusively deco- 
rated by those attractive ornaments. Unfortunately how- 
ever, it does not appear, that the brightest aeras of Taste 
have been coincident with the purest periods of freedom, 
and the splendid days of Pericles and Alexander — of Au- 
gustus — of Leo, and of Louis, would seem rather to coun- 
tenance an opposite doctrine. The Muses, like most other 
ladies, are fond of homage and attention ; they are at- 
tracted by splendour, and conciliated by politeness 5 and 



CANTO SECOND. 141 

Exhales high feelings from our glowing hearts, 
Inflames our Genius and refines our Arts: 



notwithstanding the warm assurances to the contrary, of 
some very respectable poetical and philosophical authori- 
ties, it is not yet quite certain, that in a contest for their 
favour, they would not prefer the Prince to the Repub- 
lican. 

The religious system of the ancients must have had more 
influence in the promotion of their Arts. The fables of 
polytheism, furnished an inexhaustible variety of subjects ; 
and as their temples and public edifices were profusely 
adorned with the statues of their Gods, it naturally became 
an object of solicitude, that the image should not be un- 
worthy of the divinity and the shrine. The custom also, of 
representing their gods and heroes, unincumbered with 
drapery, rendered the study of the human figure not only 
familiar but essential. 

Their religion however, though from the opportunities 
which it afforded, it must have undoubtedly tended to ad- 
vance the Arts in Greece, yet does not appear to have 
been a primary cause of their unequalled excellence. It was 
a constant source of their employment, but not the active 
stimulus of their perfection. When cultivated as a secon- 
dary object, the Arts never put forth all their splendours : 
They are cold and reserved to those who use them as 
accessary to other ends. 

The advantage of more frequently beholding the naked 



14Q ELEMENTS OF ART. 

Still at thy shrine, the hero's vows aspire, 

The patriot kindles there his purest fire ; 380 



form, which the manners, the games, and athletic exercises 
of the Greeks so generally allowed, appears to be consi- 
derably over-rated in the estimate of those who lay much 
stress upon that circumstance. 

The opportunities of transient observation, supplied by 
such means, act but in feeble co-operation with that severe 
and vigilant examination of his model which is required 
from the Artist. A Sculptor of the present day, would not 
consider the practice of frequenting our pugilistic Acade- 
mies, as a very important accessary to his ordinary means 
of improvement, although some benefit would doubtless 
result from even a loose observation of the muscular forms 
which are sometimes to be seen there : he knows how- 
ever, that if he would examine them to any purpose, he 
must take them to his study, where he can view them un- 
disturbed, and consider, compare, and judge through a 
long process of patient toil, and persevering attention. The 
face is uncovered in all countries; it offers itself constantly 
to our observation ; and frequently amongst our fair coun- 
trywomen, in subjects that might rival the Helens and 
Phrynes of antiquity : yet our inferiority to the Greeks is 
in nothing more conspicuous than in the character, sym- 
metry, and beauty of the human countenance. 

The operation of the causes above stated, though favour- 
able to the progress of the Arts amongst the ancients, will 



CANTO SECOND. 143 

Thy virtues still applauding ages crown, 
And rest on thy foundations their renown ! 



not sufficiently account for the decided superiority which 
they have displayed. Similar agents have prevailed in 
other countries, without any corresponding influence upon 
the advancement of Taste. The Romans enjoyed as 
happy a climate as the Greeks, were as free, professed the 
same religion, and by their games and public exercises, 
furnished nearly similar opportunities of studying the hu- 
man form in circumstances of great muscular energy : yet 
the Romans never approached to the excellence of Grecian 
Art. Compared with the Greeks indeed, they may be said 
to have been, even in the most flourishing period of their 
history, a rude unpolished race ; austere and unamiable in 
their virtues ; gross and sensual in their vices ; coarse and 
cruel in their amusements. War was their occupation, and 
dominion their ambition. They even exulted in a disre- 
gard of those pursuits which are the delicate offspring of 
peace and refinement, a hae tibi erunt artes, &c. ;" and 
were indebted for whatever of good taste existed amongst 
them, to the genius of that people whom they oppressed, 
plundered, and despised. 

It is not in the operation of circumstances which have 
characterised the Greeks, in common with the inhabitants 
of other countries, that we shall find a clue to the mystery 
of their extraordinary pre-eminence in the Fine Arts. It 
is not in the influence of agents, which, though favourable 
to their advancement, act but remotely and indirectly, 



144 ELEMENTS OF ART. 

Beneath the mighty ruins of thy name, 
We build our humbler edifice of Fame, 



that the stimulus of their perfection is to be disco- 
vered. We must look to causes which have been in a 
great measure, peculiar to them as a people — to causes, 
which bear directly on the point in question ; and which 
can be proved to work invariably and effectually to the 
same end, wherever, and in whatever proportion they 
have been known to exist. This will perhaps, enable us 
to solve the problem by means obvious, simple, and natural ; 
without the aid of an ingenious theory, or a philosophical 
disquisition. We shall then perhaps, be convinced, that 
the powers of the human mind attained to their highest 
perfection in Greece, because they were there more 
esteemed, and less restricted than in any succeeding na- 
tion. In their enthusiastic love for the Arts, we shall dis- 
cover the secret of their excellence in them. In their 
peculiar sensibility to the pleasures of Taste ; in their 
admiration of Beauty and Grace ; in the generous and 
enlightened alacrity with which they paid homage to 
Genius ; and the inspiring protection and respect with 
which they encouraged and rewarded his exertions, we 
shall find sufficient to account for the splendour of those 
productions, which have excited the wonder and baffled 
the imitation of the modern world. 

These are the causes which conspire effectually in the 
production of great men, great actions, and great works. 
These are the true stimuli of Genius— the moving powers 



CANTO SECOND. 145 

Collect each shatter'd part, each shining stone 385 
Of thy magnificence, by Time o'erthrown, » 



of Taste — the wedge, the screw, and the lever, without 
which the Artist droops to the imbecility of a mechanic de- 
prived of his tools. Wherever those dispositions prevail, 
the Arts will prosper — -under any form of government, mo- 
narchical, aristocratical, or republican — under any system 
of religion, Jewish, Christian, or Mahometan — in any de- 
gree of climate within the limits of animal accommodation 
and civilized intercourse. 

The partial revival of these causes excited the Arts to 
comparative excellence, amidst the turbulent factions of 
Florence, the religious fulminations of Leo, and in the 
dissolute despotism of Louis the Fourteenth. That they 
have shone with diminished lustre in latter times, is to 
be ascribed to the general decay of those causes — to 
the influence of pride upon Taste — to the triumph of 
wealth over merit. It is not political but mental freedom 
that is wanting to their promotion. It is not the influence 
of Christianity, as some modern sages have supposed, but 
the bigotry of criticism, that has crippled and impeded 
their progress. It is not the physical climate that is unfa- 
vourable, but the intellectual climate that in a general 
frost of feeling, nips the tender growth of Taste. 
a The Arts degenerate in the ungenial air, 
" And every flower of Fancy withers there." 
If the Arts have lost their power and dignity amongst us, it 

L 



146 ELEMENTS OF ART. 

Arrange the rich materials, rapt, amazed, 
And wonder at the palace we have raised ! 



is because they are deprived of their just rank in the scale of 
distinction. If they have become mercenary and mecha- 
nical, it is because they are degraded to a trade. We tie 
them down to the earth, and then complain that they do 
not soar to their ancient heights : we strip them of their 
noblest plumes, and wonder at the weakness of their 
wingc 

It is not the genius of the moderns that is defective, but 
the character and tendency of our pursuits that are unfa, 
vourable to the developement of its powers. It is not the 
seed or the soil that is unfruitful, but the husbandry that 
is careless and injudicious. There is no garden ground 
allowed in the intellectual -agriculture of the times : the 
whole surface of society is so ploughed up in one vast 
arable of politics and trade, that not a rood or perch can 
be spared to the tillage of Taste. 

Let us not asperse the abilities of our age, or believe 
that Nature has exhausted all her bounty upon the an- 
cients : the same causes have always produced the same 
effects, and great excellence has not failed to result from 
extraordinary stimuli, in the latter, as well as the former 
period of the world. All the honours and rewards, which 
the manners and institutions of modern society can devise 
or bestow, have been zealously conferred on eminence in 
©ratory and arms ; in these pursuits therefore, we have 



CANTO SECOND, 147 

more than rivalled the exploits of antiquity : their Conons, 
and Lysanders, would ill bear a comparison with the 
Marlboroughs and Nelsons of modern warfare. Demos- 
thenes and Eschines, Cicero and Carbo, might yield the palm 
without a blush, to the Pitts, the Foxes, the Burkes, and 
the Sheridans of our day. In science also, where we have 
freed our faculties from the dominion of prejudice, and 
ventured to think for ourselves ; where criticism has not 
been able to repress experiment, or impose the arbitrary 
practice of one age, as the established law of the succeeding, 
we have triumphed over the delusions of theory, and the 
dreams of speculation. In short, wherever the moderns 
have had fair play in the race, they have run head to head 
with their ancient competitors, and vindicated the charac- 
ter of their Genius, and the impartiality of Nature. 

Before we can hope to rival the Greeks in the perfection 
of those Arts, which have constituted their glory, and 
secured their immortality, we must endeavour to acquire 
some of their feelings, as well as their fragments : we must 
adopt their principles, as well as imitate their productions : 
we must, like them, ascend to the source of all human 
perfection : emancipate the mind from the shackles of cri- 
ticism, and set our faculties free to range in fearless confi- 
dence the boundless regions of Nature. But, above all, 
we must endeavour to resemble them in the generous sen- 
sibility with which they regarded and rewarded those, who 
plunging into the gulph of study, devoted themselves to 
the best interests of their country. We must imitate their 
inspiring respect for merit. We must learn to look on 



148 ELEMENTS OF ART, 

Genius as the true nobility of Nature, bearing the patent 
of heaven for honour and distinction upon earth ; the true 
" Corinthian capital" of society, supporting the glory of 
nations and the dignity of man, long after the artificial props 
of Princes and of Peers have crumbled to decay. 



CANTO THIRD. 



ARGUMENT. 

The Student reviews .his progress, and proceeds with en- 
creased ardour — having ascended, through a course of 
preparatory studies, the prospect of Art begins to open 
before him. and he looks with confidence to the highest 
elevation of Taste — caution not to be too sanguine, or 
to pres line too much on premature talents — prodigies of 
early excellence unknown in painting — necessity of de- 
termining in which path of Art the Student shall employ 
his powers — propriety of confining his efforts to one ob- 
ject — danger of dissipating our powers in a variety of 
pursuits, illustrated by the character of Hilario — exhor- 
tation to the Student, to devote himself to the higher 
departments of Art, in defiance of the obstructions which 
arise from the mercenary spirit of the age — allusion to 
portrait-painting, and the embarrassments which attend 
the practice of that part of the profession — necessity of 
studying the works of our predecessors— allusion to the 
painters of antiquity — regret expressed for the loss of 
their productions, which are supposed to have been equal 
in excellence to their sculpture — the empire of Taste 
established in Italy, to compensate the subversion of her 
power — the Roman School — character of Raphael — of 
Michael Angelo — the Flemish School — Rubens — the 
Venetian — Titian — the School of Bologna — the Carracci 
allusion to their style of art — allusion to the many other 
great painters who deserve distinction and admiration — 
Correggio — Rembrandt — Poussin — Paul Veronese — 
something to be learned from each by a judicious process 
of study — the Dutch school — affectation of those who 
endeavour to decry their productions — character and 
claims of their Art, considered as a faithful imitation of 
familiar life and common nature — difficulty of obtaining 
access to the best productions of the old masters, arising 
from their seclusion in the collections of those, who oc- 
cupied in the barren gratification of Taste, neglect to 
promote the fertility of Genius. 



[ 151 ] 



CANTO III. 



Hoc sit primum in praeceptis meis, ut demonstremus qucm 

imitemur. Cicero 



AS when, slow-labouring up a mountain's side, 

Whose misty summit cleaves th' etherial tide, 

Safe on some midway crag, awhile relieved, 

We turn to view the arduous height achieved, 

Behold, in breathless joy, th' expanding plain, 5 

And with recruited vigour climb again. 

Ascending thus, thro' various toils of Art, 

Secure in hope, and skill'd in every part, 

The ardent youth exulting feels his force, 

Perceives his progress, and renews his course : 10 

Now wider scenes, superior joys supply, 

Sublimer beauties greet his glowing eye, 



159, ELEMENTS OF ART. 

He darts o'er distant hills his eager sight, 

And pants in fancy on the proudest height. 

Yet not too sanguine, let your strength untried 15 

Despise those aids experience has supplied ; 



Line 14. And pants in fancy on the proudest height.^ — 
This perhaps may be called the most delightful stage of 
study to the young painter : he has been, hitherto, travers- 
ing a thorny path, plodding in the rough road of rudiments ; 
at every step encountering obstructions formidable to his 
weakness, and magnified by his fears. 

But now, the country begins to open before him, and 
more secure of his footing, he raises his head to observe the 
beauties in his view ; all is now ardour and hope — pleasure 
and impetuosity : the first difficulties, which always appear 
to be the most formidable, have been happily surmounted; 
— his hand is obedient to his eye — his pencil flows with 
some facility, and he is well grounded in all the collateral 
studies of his Art : in short, he considers himself as having 
amassed all the materials of merit, and has but to choose 
what wreath of Taste shall decorate his brow. 

This fearless confidence, is almost essential to his ad- 
vancement; it gives a new spring to his energy and his 
application ; it is a cordial that invigorates his spirit for 
greater exertion ; a kind delusion spread before his eyes, 
to conceal or soften those more serious difficulties of hi 
course, from which, if he was acquainted with their full 
extent, he would inevitably shrink in apprehension and 



CANTO THIRD. 153 

Nor vainly hope, whate'er.your powers appear, 

To bear the palm in premature career. 

Let other Arts from cradles still recruit, 

And force from forward spring a sickly fruit; 20 

With infant prodigies confound our age, 

And pour the nurs'ry on the public stage: 

No graphic wreaths on school-boy brows are placed, 

No beardless Tyro bends the bow of Taste; 



dismay. But this sanguine temperament is not unattended 
with danger : the cordial may intoxicate instead of strength- 
ening : the delusion of hope may become the veil of vanity. 
Too little confidence sometimes mars a genius, but too 
much, always makes a coxcomb. Continued elation de- 
notes a want of sensibility ; continued depression, a want 
of spirit : they are both equally fatal to our progress, for 
in the one case we fall by presumption, and in the other 
we fail through fear. 

The true temper of Genius, is of the intermitting cast ; 
hot and cold by turns : an alternation of hope and disap- 
pointment ; the former operating to rebrace those powers 
which have been relaxed by the latter. He who has been 
often disappointed, will cease to be sanguine if he be not a 
fool ; but he will also forbear to despond if he be wise. In 
a new effort, he will better measure his distance, and make 
up by steadiness what he has lost in impetuosity. Being 
less confident he will be more cautious, and perhaps suc- 
ceed to his wish, because he suspects that he may fail. 



154 ELEMENTS OF ART. 

Painting, a long noviciate needs, to prove %& 

Your patient zeal, and persevering love, 
And him who proudly to her heart aspires, 
Mature of age, in all his powers requires. 

Sagacious now, while full before your eye, 
The various paths of Art, alluring lie, SO 

Observe to what attractive course inclined, 
Your Genius leads, and seize the fav'ring wind. 



Line 32. Your Genius leads, and seize the fav'ring wind.] 
— The painter's studies hitherto, may be considered as* 
general and preparatory : a kind of school-course, calcu- 
lated to sharpen his faculties, and fit him for any exercise 
of his art. He has however, now arrived at the point from 
which the different tracks of Taste diverge ; and it will be 
necessary, to determine in which of them he is to pursue 
his journey. This second choice is not less important than 
the first, for the vague love of painting which has impelled 
him to take up the palette, will have only the more fatally 
misled him, if he employs it in a department to which his 
talents are unsuited : here nature and good sense only 
can be his guide. He may fail if he follows the impulse 
of inclination, but he must fail if he counteracts it. What- 
ever may be his provision for the journey, he will always 
travel farthest in the road which he likes best. But when 
he has chosen his course, he should persevere in it ; to 
fluctuate is fatal. Fickleness is the worst disease of mind 



CANTO THIRD. 155 

Whether endow'd with Eagle strength to spring, 

You soar aloft on bold Historic wing; 

Or, weaker pinion'd, take an humbler aim, 35 

To Portrait fly, and flatter into fame : 

Whether the pastoral of life delight, 

Or vulgar scenes in Dutch detail invite, 



with which a painter can be afflicted : it denotes a weak- 
ness of intellectual stamina — a want of that patient vigour, 
which steadily pursues its object, undiyerted by allurement 
or impediment. He who is always changing his route can 
never make much progress : he becomes fatigued without 
getting forward, and has often the mortification to find 
himself surpassed by inferior powers more judiciously and 
steadily directed. 

Line 35. Or, weaker pinion'd, take an humbler aim,] — 
Although the Author certainly, had no intention to offend 
the feelings of any description of Artists, and can have no 
desire to degrade any department of Art from its just rank 
in the scale of public esteem, yet he understands, that he 
has been thought to speak irreverently of some pursuits of 
Taste, which take a different direction from that which it 
is the object of the present work to recommend. With 
those who entertain this opinion, he fears he has but little 
chance of making his peace in the present publication, for 
he cannot sacrifice principle to complaisance, 

66 Nor be so civil to be insincere." 
But though he would always pay a ready respect to rational 



156 ELEMENTS OF ART. 

What'er your forte, to that your zeal confine, 

Let all your efforts there conccnter'd shine; 40 

As shallow streams collected form a tide, 

So talents thrive, to one grand point applied. 



sensibility and a laudable desire of esteem,* he considers 
the feelings of irascible vanity and pettish self-importance, 
of no consequence, and entitled to no attention. He has 
no hope of satisfying those who have neither the spirit to 
perform, nor the virtue to revere, the higher achievements 
of genius ; who sunk in hopeless insignificance, shew all 
the meanness without the ingenuity of a mechanic, and 
affect the pride without the powers of an Artist. 

That casting weight pride adds to emptiness, 
This who can gratify, for who can guess ? 

Pope. 
Persons of this description have no interest in the advance- 
ment of the Art, except as it may concern themselves ; 
they feel no desire for advantages of which they are con- 
scious they cannot participate — for opportunities of which 
they know they are unable to avail themselves : they would 
willingly lower the standard of Taste to the level of their 



* The Author erased from the third edition of Rhymes 
on Art, a passage, which a modest and very ingenious re- 
monstrance from Mr. Watts, informed him, was considered 
as reflecting on the practice of miniature.painting. 



CANTO THIRD. 15? 

A jealous mistress is the Muse of Art, 
And scorns to share the homage of your heart, 
Demands continual tribute to her charms, 45 

And takes no truant suitor to her arms. 



own pretensions, and assist with pleasure to pluck every 
feather from the wing of Genius, rather than see it soar 
beyond their reach. 

All the subalterns of Taste, from the pompous painter of 
portraits (horresco referens) who manufactures faces with 
polygraphic facility, down to the decorater of a coach 
pannel, and the artificer of shades in a shop-window ; all, 
lay claim to the highest honours of Art, consider them- 
selves as field-officers in the divisions of Virtu, and put 
forth all the quills of the porcupine, if you but hint that 
they occupy a subordinate station. 

The Author cannot be supposed desirous to depreciate 
those humbler pursuits of the palette, upon one of which 
he himself depends, for whatever of honour or estimation 
he can hope to acquire in society ; but in urging the claims 
of painting, to the countenance and protection of the State, 
he has no hesitation to avow, that however highly he may 
respect the powers which they require and display, he con- 
siders portraits and landscapes, low life and still life, dead 
game and living game, fruits, flowers, or butterflies, as 
quite out of the question : he knows of no pretensions 
which they can have to any particular interference in their 
favour ; and he thinks their cultivation would be amply 



158 ELEMENTS OF ART. 

Observe Hilario, who with merit fraught, 
A universal Genius would be thought; [shine 

Would snatch the crown from Creighton's brow, and 
In all the various glories of the Nine. 50 

In him the furor of ambition burns, 
While ev'ry Art engrosses him by turns ; 
Till lust of praise destroys the power to please, 
And emulation rages to disease. 

Tho' rich in parts, a spendthrift of his powers, 55 

He diligently dissipates his hours; 
In studious trifling loiters life away, 
And idles most laboriously his day ; 

provided for, in that general diffusion of taste and ability, 
which must always result from a liberal and enlightened 
patronage of Historic Art. They are all branches of the 
same tree, more or less remotely connected with the parent 
stock, from the flourishing state of which they cannot fail 
to derive sufficient vigour and luxuriance. 

In these lower regions of Taste, all of which, though he 
has mentioned them together, the Author is far from con- 
sidering as on the same level; there are wreaths to be ac- 
quired, which may justly satisfy an honourable ambition, 
without assuming a false consequence, or arrogantly de- 
manding those distinctions which ought to be reserved as 
the incentive and reward of noble daring in the lofty flights 
of Art. 



CANTO THIRD. 159 

In system shallow, in pretension pert, 

A dabbler on the surface of desert ! 60 

A frothy fop, in shreds of science drest, 

A superficial smatterer at best. 

Say, have those sounds e'er touch'd your chosen ear, 
From heav'n that fall in holy murmurs here ? 
That voice divine ! heart-whispering, that reveals, 65 
To shun the mob that shout at Mammon's heels ; 
To quit the common hunt, for nobler game, 
And seek in purer paths a spotless fame ; 
Swells your fired breast as full in Fancy's glass, 
By Taste decreed, the Pencil's triumphs pass ? 70 

While Genius glows, ambitious to restore 
Her ancient honours to the Muse once more, 
O ! give the gen'rous impulse wing, nor fear 
To press still forward in the proud career ; 



Line 73. / give the generous impulse wing, norfear~\ — 
In urging the Student to cultivate the higher provinces of 
Art, the Author is not insensible of the existing impedi- 
ments to such a direction of his talents. Amongst the mul- 
titude of English painters, if but few aspire to the Epic, or 
Historic wreath, it is not that ambition and ability are 
wanting, but that unfavourable circumstances occasion the 



160 ELEMENTS OF ART. 

To wrest, enraptured, as your powers expand, 75 

The Hero's fame, from History's feebler hand ; 
To call the Patriot forth, life-breathing, bold, 
The passions sway, in scene sublime unfold ; 



suppression of the one, and the misapplication of the 
other. 

If they who so loudly complain of our exhibitions as de- 
ficient in subjects of an elevated character in Art, would 
but reflect a little, not only on the time and talent, but the 
materials and accommodations, which are necessary to pro- 
duce such works, they would perhaps, be induced to lower 
the tone of their contempt, and transfer a portion of their 
indignation from the painter to the patron. 

The Painter cannot, like the Poet, compose his subject 
in the street, and beg from the first shop, a sheet of paper 
to transcribe.* He depends more on time and place, 
and must wait for opportunity and patronage. Barry 
justly observes, that u Raphael, Michael Angelo, and Car- 
rache could not have produced their wonders, without the 
Sestini chapel, the Vatican, and the Farnese palace, but that 
Milton's Poem required neither a palace nor a prince." 

A great work in Art cannot now be the production of in- 
digence and obscurity, for it is the labour of years, pursued 
through many arduous studies, and assisted by a variety of 



* Vide Johnson's Life of Savage. 



CANTO THIRD. ]6l 

A venal age, with Virtue's traits surprise, 

And bid the awful shades of Glory rise. 80 

What ! tho' no wreaths in our dull days attend 
On these high themes, nor fostering cares befriend; 



models and materials — requiring a number of local and me- 
chanical facilities, and attended consequently, with consi- 
derable expense. Who will sustain the powers of Genius 
through such a process ? What are the tempting allure- 
ments to an exertion so arduous ? the reasonable hopes of 
honour or emolument to justify so serious a speculation on 
the liberality of the day ? The fate of those who have tried 
the public feeling, will not tend much to recommend the 
experiment. 

Barry, ambitious of renown in his art, and hopeless of 
any opportunity more favourable to his purpose, proposed 
to adorn the great room of " the Society of Arts," with 
a series of pictures, illustrative of the progress of man to- 
wards civilization and science. To complete this extensive 
work, he devoted himself to poverty and seclusion for seven 
or eight years ; subsisting on means scarcely adequate to 
the support of nature in the humblest station ; and by its 
exhibition to the public when finished, he obtained, as the 
whole reward of his labours, — five hundred pounds ! ! ! 

Nor did the affluence of honours compensate for the penury 
of profit : notwithstanding the zeal, the perseverance, and 

M 



\6% ELEMENTS OF ART. 

Though bloated Wealth, Caprice, and Pride conspire, 
To quench, in cold contempt, each Muse's fire; 
Forsake the Patron's path, with Glory graced, 85 
To truck and barter in the trade of Taste ; 



the ability which he displayed, the modern Polygnotus* did 
not receive the thanks of his country; he had no honourable 
residence assigned to him in the different cities of the em. 
pire ; he found it difficult to live, even on the humblest 
scale of expense, in that city which his genius has so much 
contributed to adorn, and died at last the object of a pub- 
lic subscription. 

It is impossible for Candour to contemplate without strong 
feelings of admiration, the ardour and enthusiasm of this 
extraordinary man ; who disdaining the mercenary maxims 
of the world — breaking from the allurements of pleasure, 
and the delusions of vanity, could sacrifice every object of 
vulgar ambition to the honourable pursuit of Fame. It is 
impossible to view him, in the face of every evil that could 
shake a mind less firm, prosecuting his work, as the great 
ornament of modern literature has pathetically described 



* Polygnotus having painted the Pcecile, a famous portico 
at Athens, refused to take payment for his work ; and as an 
acknowledgment of his genius and generosity, the Amphic- 
tyons returned him solemn thanks, and assigned him an 
honourable residence, at the public expense, in all the cities 
of Greece. 



CANTO THIRD. 163 

What ! tho' proscribed — nnpurpled, we deplore 

The moral majesty of Art — no more> 

While vulgar toils the Pencil's powers deprave, 

And not a garland blooms e'en o'er the grave, 90 



himself i on a somewhat similar occasion, iC amidst inconve- 
nience and distraction, in sickness and in sorrow," without 
emotions of the highest respect for an ambition so exalted, 
an intrepidity so rare, and a spirit so independant ; without 
sentiments of unavailing regret, that errors of eccentricity 
on his part, should have diminished the impression of his 
merits ; and that errors of apathy on the part of the public, 
should have obstructed their full display, and prevented 
their just remuneration. 

The merits and the manners of Barry, were certainly little 
suited to the time, and still less to the country in which he 
lived. As a man, he would have been more distinguished in 
the age of Pericles ; as a painter, he would have been more 
esteemed in the age of Leo ; in Greece he might perhaps, 
have been a sage, as well as an artist; the leader of a sect 
in philosophy, and the founder of a school of Taste, In 
England, he was only an oddity at whom every body stared, 
whom few appreciated, and fewer still understood. 

In his art and in his manners, he alike mistook, or rather 
disregarded, what was essential to his time: in the former, 
he followed the Roman School, when only the Venetian 
was admired ; in the latter, he neglected urbanity, when 
urbanity was necessary to please, and allowed himself to be 



164 ELEMENTS OF ART. 

Yet not unmindful of your zeal, the Muse 
Shall still some comforts in your cup infuse; 
Shall drop the balm that soothes th' indignant breast, 
When sordid cares th' aspiring mind molest ; 



rough and independant amongst those, who always demand 
our respect, and often our obsequiousness. He was an in- 
judicious trader, whose commodities, though good in their 
kind, were brought to the wrong market ; and though he 
found out his error, he disdained to change his cargo, or 
conform to the prejudices of those, whom he thought it his 
duty to direct, and his privilege to supply. 

But whatever may have been the defects of his personal 
character, his professional views seem to have been liberal 
and dignified ; consistent with his principles, and his prac- 
tice ; directed to the advancement of his art and the glory 
of his country. If his ardour was inconsiderate or intempe- 
rate, it was apparently disinterested : if he was violent and 
impracticable with his brethren, it was in the honest pur- 
suit of public objects ; objects, which all must admit to have 
been worthy of his zeal, however they may disapprove 
of the indiscretion which rendered it unsociable and 
abortive. 

Neglect, mortification, and disappointment, wrought on 
Barry their usual effects in irritable and ambitious minds : 
he withdrew from the contest, not defeated, but disgusted : 
he sunk into himself with an indignant feeling of worth 



CANTO THIRD. l65 

Shall pour the pride, that, in life's humblest state, 95 
Bears the wrong'd spirit buoyant o'er its fate; 
Repels the shafts by adverse fortune huiTd, 
And braves the blackest aspect of the world. 



unregarded : a proud consciousness of having meant well 
and merited better of his country. 

A prey to moody meditation, and averse from common 
intercourse, he became every day more unsocial in his 
habits, morose in his temper, and suspicious in his imagi- 
nation. Like Rousseau, he fancied himself the object of a 
general conspiracy — the common mark for all the arrows 
of envy, malevolence, and injustice. Every untoward cir- 
cumstance of his life, from the most trifling domestic mo- 
lestation, to the most serious difficulties and disasters, he 
ascribed to the unceasing machinations of a cabal, formed 
for his destruction, and combining all the means of mischief 
in a course of unrelenting persecution. 

That the intractable coarseness of his manners, the open 
and too often outrageous contempt which he expressed for 
the busy, imbecile intriguers of his profession, should have 
made him enemies amongst them is more than probable. The 
sly, and selfish tribe, who speculate on public Institutions, 
and whose only skill consists in the dexterity with which they 
can extract from them the means of private advantage, and 
personal influence ; who, measuring all men by their own 
standard, consider disinterested characters only as whole- 
sale hypocrites, and public spirit as imposture, will always 



166 ELEMENTS OF ART, 

Nor envy those who bask in Fortune's ray, 

The Portrait panegyrists of their day : 100 

Tho' Fashion's fiat stamp their toils divine, 

And Loves and Graces sport in every line ; 



view with mortal aversion those, from whose probity and 
independance, they can hope neither for connivance nor 
co-operation. But the unremitting and systematic malig- 
nity of which he considered himself the victim ; the vari- 
ous spells which tho necromancy of mischief was hourly 
casting around him, were the unhappy delusious of an ima- 
gination irritated by brooding over real ills and fancied 
enmities. The general proscription however, in which his 
undistinguishing resentment involved all that is respectable 
in his profession, can be palliated or pardoned, only in 
consideration of that mental malady, which unprincipled 
opposition first produced, and continued disappointment 
subsequently exasperated. 

That the manners and habits of a man who differed so 
much from the society in which he lived, should, by some, 
be considered as a cunning device, to fix upon him the 
public attention, is not extraordinary, in an age, when 
quackery has become so prolific in expedients of attrac- 
tion. Barry however, seems not to have merited this im- 
putation. Eccentricity is sometimes a natural defect of 
Genius, but it is always a vice of aifectation in those who are 
pretenders to that quality : it is a flaw that may be occasion- 
ally found in the sterling coin, but it is an artificial mark 



CANTO THIRD. 16? 

Tho' beaux and beauties own enraptured there, 
A mien more gallant, and a face more fair, 



impressed upon the counterfeit. They -who affect singularity 
are however easily discovered ; there is a method in their 
madness which always proves it to be assumed. He who 
can repress his whims to suit his interests ; whose peculi- 
arities know how to respect season and circumstance, per- 
son and place, wears his eccentricity as a mask, and should 
be treated with contempt as an imposter. But the singu- 
larities of Barry were not of this character, they were too 
intractible for policy, and too lasting for affectation. Those 
marks must be deep, which neither interest nor time can 
obscure or obliterate. If it was a mask which he put on, 
it appears never to have been taken off; if he acted a part, 
he was at least consistent, and observed the Horatian 
maxim " servetur ad imum, &c." 

Whatever we may think of his sense, or his discretion, 
we must at least give him credit for sincerity, who persists 
in his oddities at the expense of his interests ; who is per- 
verse only to his own prejudice ; and sacrifices to the in- 
dulgence of caprice, all the ordinary hopes and pleasures 
of society. 

An affectation pursued to such serious consequences, the 
poet has justly, though ludicrously characterised in the 
following couplet : 

Who hangs himself, or beats his brains, 
The devil's in him if he feigns. 
With posterity, Barry will find more favour than he expe- 



16.8 ELEMENTS OF ART. 

Yet teizing follies torture all their hours, 105 

Disturb their studies, and impede their powers ; 
Pretending critics round their eazel stand, 
And fops and ladies dictate to their hand. 



rienced from his contemporaries. His character will 
brighten in proportion as time shall remove those stains of 
personal peculiarity which so much disfigured and obscured 
it. They who shall see him only in his works, will regard 
him as a man of genius and virtue, neglected and under- 
valued in his time; as a painter, who sought to revive the 
best sera of Taste, and aspired to soar upon the noblest 
pinion of his Art; as a patriot, who ably vindicated the 
insulted character of his country, and endeavoured to 
rouse the spirit of a mercenary age, to a juster estimation 
and more liberal culture of those studies upon her profici- 
ency in which must depend, whether Britain shall be here- 
after regarded as the boast or the Boeotia of the modern 
world. 

Line 105. Yet teizing follies torture all their hours,~\ — To 
paint a good portrait requires a degree of ability, which 
the public in general do not adequately appreciate. It is 
one of the most difficult operations of Art, performed under 
the most unfavourable circumstances ; and if we except the 
superior departments of history, it yields to no production 
of the pencil in skill, interest, or dignity. 

All Artists are more or less embarrassed, by the injudi- 
cious interference of their employers, but the portrait 



CANTO THIRD. 169 

Intent on higher toils, now turn the eye, 
Selective o'er what ages past supply ; 1 10 

Since first the beam of Taste pervading cheer'd 
The Vandal gloom, and Arts once more appear'd ; 



painter may be said to be a martyr to the whims and 
frivolities of those on whom he depends. He has not only 
to encounter the difficulties of his art, but the capric _ i s of 
his subject ; and can neither consult his fancy nor command 
his time. His ardour is disappointed perhaps, when excited 
to the highest pitch of exertion ; or his pencil is arrested 
at the moment when it has begun to flow with facility and 
effect. While studying intensely he is required to converse 
with ease, and discuss the topics of the day while he thinks 
of rivalling Reynolds and Vandyke. In short, he must 
unite to the skill of the painter, the ingenuity of the poli- 
tician, and negotiate constantly between ignorance and 
science : he must extricate himself dextrously from the de- 
vices of Vanity — reconcile to common sense and propriety, 
the conceptions of folly, and reduce the monstrosities of 
fashion to symmetry and grace. 

Nothing can be more injudicious, or ineffectual to any 
good purpose, than an interference with the painter in the 
execution of his work. Good Taste will select the Artist 
who appears the best qualified, and good sense will leave 
him to his own discretion. He is the best acquainted with 
his own powers, as well as the powers of his art : he knows 
where his strength lies, and how he can employ it with 



170 ELEMENTS OF ART. 

As when excursive o'er the fields of air, 

The strongest sight restricted travels there, 

Till by the magic tube's sky-piercing aid, 115 

The heavens are measured, and the stars display'd ; 



most advantage ; his reputation depends upon his success, 
and if he is left to the direction of his own judgment, the 
disgrace of failure is without palliation or excuse. 

The painter must have studied his profession to little 
purpose, if he has not more taste than those who usually 
employ him. To dictate to him therefore, is to forego the 
benefit of his superior knowledge, and to substitute the 
errors of ignorance and inexperience, for the results of 
skill and judgment. 

The pride of Genius revolts from an interposition so in- 
considerate and absurd ; he feels that you doubt his talents 
the moment you attempt to direct them: you chill that en- 
thusiastic ardour which always attends the execution of his 
own conceptions, and by disturbing the free exercise of his 
powers, at once frustrate and oifend them. 

Whatever the connoisseur and the man of taste may 
think of their influence in this way, common sense and ex- 
perience, will doubt, if any production of Art has ever 
been improved, on the whole, by their interference ; dull- 
ness cannot be raised upon their stilts, and Genius stands 
above them : the spirit is not strong which their efforts are 
required to rectify. 

Gibbon says, he soon gave up the " modest practice" of 
i 
\ 



CANTO THIRD. 171 

The Painter thus, a bounded prospect views, 

And clouds in error his contracted Muse, 

Till previous toils their optick aids impart, 

And shew him Nature through the eyes of Art : 120 

Swift-spreading round, th' enlarged horizon flies, 

As Taste discover'd scenes encircling rise : 

Art springs, exalted, from an height sublime, 

And soars upon the strengthen'd wing of Time. 

By cautious steps the mind progressive moves, 125 
As on the past, the present still improves ; 



reading his works to his friends. He who cannot proceed 
without such assistance, will not be carried far on the road 
of reputation, and would do well to turn aside from the 
career of Taste. 

Premature criticism frequently disconcerts the character 
and consistency of the whole work, by directing our atten- 
tion to a fastidious consideration of the parts ; it. checks our 
confidence in ourselves, at the moment when to doubt of 
our powers, is to disable them ; it often stifles the birth of 
a beauty in the officious anticipation of a defect, and ope- 
rates only to emasculate what it affects to amend. 

Line 125. By cautious steps the mind progressive moves,~] 
— It is obvious, that if we do not make ourselves acquainted 
with the labours of those who have preceded us in the path 



172 ELEMENTS OF ART. 

To Science, hoary Time submissive bows, 

To write her progress on his wrinkled brows ; 

Full, on his hieroglyphic front appears, 

The rich result oflong revolving years, 130 



which we have chosen, we must suffer under great disad- 
vantages, and be subject to spend much time and toil, in a 
tedious contention with those primary obstructions of our 
course, which a little communication with former travel- 
lers would have enabled us at once to avoid or remove. 

The painter in particular, should eagerly seize every op- 
portunity, of seeing what has been done by those who have 
excelled in his profession ; he who is not conversant with 
the productions of the great masters, can form no adequate 
conception of the powers of his art ; until he mounts the 
mighty wave of science as it rolls, he can have no idea how 
far he may be carried forward beyond the struggles of his 
unassisted strength. 

We must take care however, that in the contemplation 
of what has been done, we do not forget that there is some- 
thing more to do ; or allow ourselves to be diverted from 
the object of our journey, by the directors of our road. 
We must preserve our veneration for Nature, in the midst 
of our admiration of Art, and never so far give our confi- 
dence to her imitators, as to suffer them to take her place 
in our affections. Her picture, after all, is the picture which 
we are required to paint, and we must be familiar with her 
noblest features, before we can judge if others have done 



CANTO THIRD. 173 

Whatever Toil has taught, or Taste inspired, 
Or Genius in the field of fame acquired : 
Who read this crowded record of the past — 
This page, where all the wealth of Wit's amass'd, 
With wonder grasp the gather 'd stores of mind, 135 
And wield the whole experience of mankind. 



them justice, or know how we are to represent them our- 
selves. 

A painter therefore, while studying the works of other 
Artists, will always find it useful, to have some produc- 
tion of his own going forward at the same time ; it will 
oblige him to keep in his eye the model of all models ; he 
will have the advantage of a double comparison ; and while, 
on the one hand, his selection of Nature will be assisted by 
the refinement of Science ; so, on the other, his admiration 
of Art will be chastened by the simplicity of Nature. 

He will thus observe with more attention, and ascer- 
tain with more accuracy, what it is, that great minds 
communicate to their productions, to give them an interest 
so much beyond the attainment of ordinary powers ; he 
will better estimate the materials with which they build, 
and the skill displayed in their arrangement : he will detect 
the charm which Genius employs ; the spell which he casts 
around him in all his operations, and soon learn to distin- 
guish what offers itself on the surface of ingenuity, from 
that which must be sought in the sensibilities of Taste, or 
pursued in the recesses of Science. 



174 ELEMENTS OF ART, 

Seek then, assiduous, to refine, and raise 
Your powers of Art by those of ancient days ; 
Observe what, tracts have been explored around, 
What regions traversed, and what treasures found; 



Line 138. Your powers of Art by those of ancient days ;] 
— It has been said, that " we should rather read much, 
than many books." The observation may be applied to 
Art ; for it is better to study a few good pictures with at- 
tention, than to pass superficially over a great number. 
The improvement to be derived from an opportunity of 
visiting large collections, is often impeded by the difficulty 
of fixing the attention sufficiently to one object ; the face 
of an individual makes but little impression in a crowd, and 
we must not look at every thing if we desire to see one 
thing well. 

The extraordinary assemblage of works of Art deposited 
in the Louvre at Paris, appears in this respect, on the first 
view, quite embarrassing. All is confusion and astonish- 
ment : the eye is dazzled and bewildered, wandering from 
side to side — from picture to picture ; like a glutton at 
a feast, anxious to devour every thing, till the intellectual 
stomach palled and oppressed by variety, loses the pleasure 
of taste, and the power of digestion. 

The Author experienced this effect so strongly during his 
first visits to this immense collection, that if he had not 
had the opportunity of a longer and more systematic exami- 
nation, his mind would have retained nothing of the mass 



CANTO THIRD. 175 

Those bold adventurers, long revered, and placed 141 
By Time, triumphant at the helm of Taste, 
Pursue where'er the flag of Fame's unfurl'd, 
And sail with Genius round the graphic world. 



of excellence there displayed, but a chaos of confused 
forms and erroneous impressions. 

There is an art in making use of pictures, as well as in 
painting them ; we must not only learn to distinguish such 
works as are proper for our study, but also, such parts of 
them, as may deserve to be studied. The best masters have 
faults, as well as beauties ; and we should take warning by 
the one, while we take example by the other. Raphael is 
no more to be studied for chiaro 'scuro, than Rembrandt 
for beauty and grace ; Correggio is as defective in purity 
of design, as Poussin in harmony of colouring ; and we 
shall find as little simplicity in the splendours of Rubens, 
as propriety in the compositions of Paul Veronese. 

We must endeavour to preserve a degree of freedom even 
in our devotion, to follow our models with respect, but 
not with servility, and while we derive from them the 
benefit of instruction, avoid the danger of imitation. 

It is because the Student is not sufficiently impressed with 
the necessity of this rule, that he in general derives so little 
advantage from the contemplation of great works : he ad- 
mires without discrimination, and imitates without choice ; 
he reaps the cockle with the corn, and finds the harvest 
not worth the carriage. 



176 ELEMENTS OF ART. 

Though purest forms from ancient Greece we trace, 

And in her Sculpture find the school of grace, 146 

No trophies of her Pencil's power remain, 

To prove in j icture her coequal reign ; 

Else might the Muse her graphic triumphs own, 

And vanquish'd Raphael abdicate the throne; 150 



Line 150. And vanquished Raphael abdicate the throne;'] — 
The world of Taste has been much divided on this subject. 
Whether the Greek painters were, or were not on a level 
with their Sculptors ; and if a Parrhasius, a Protogenes, and 
an Apellcs, should be considered as having attained to 
greater excellence than a Raphael, aTitian, and a Correggio, 
are questions which have occasioned much discussion, and 
u adhuc sub judice lis est." 

It seems indeed, not easy to conceive how the contro- 
versy can ever be satisfactorily decided, since the materials 
of judgment are wanting ; time has removed out of court 
the most essential witnesses, and we have nothing better to 
proceed upon, than circumstantial evidence. It must be 
confessed however, that this species of proof is strong in 
favour of the ancients, and although, not conclusive accord- 
ing to the laws of criticism, it must have considerable 
influence upon a jury of Taste. 

The Author does not pretend, in the glimmering of a 
note, to throw much light on a subject, to which the illu- 
mination of so many volumes has been devoted in vain ; 
he would wish merely, to account for the opinion stated in 



CANTO THIRD. 177 

Bui now no more Campaspe's graces prove 

Apelles' skill, and justify his love ; 

No more display'd in Helen's form divine, 

By Zeuxis hand assembled beauties shine ; 

Nor longer his protective genius glows, 155 

Who turn'd the fury of his country's foes, 



the text, by touching on a few of those topics which have 
tended to produce it. 

The principal arguments which have been commonly 
applied to this subject, may be classed under three heads. 
Direct evidence, drawn from the remains of ancient painting 
which have descended to us ; testimony, derived from the 
writings of ancient critics and authors ; and analogy, drawn 
from an observation of the usual progress of painting and 
sculpture in modern times. The first species of proof is, 
unfortunately for the advocates of antiquity, by no means 
favourable to their side of the question ; they who affect to 
discover in the few examples of the Grecian pencil, which 
time has spared for our examination, sufficient evidence of 
the superior excellence to which the ancient painters had 
attained, display their prejudice, rather than their know- 
ledge, and should be listened to with suspicion, as partial, or 
incompetent judges. Independant of the merits of design, 
which have been ascrihed to them, these works are ac- 
knowledged by artists to possess no one quality of a fine pic- 
ture : they discover many of those defects which are found to 

N 



178 ELEMENTS OF ART. 

When Rhodes, rejoicing in her rescued towers^ 
Beheld her best palladium in his powers.* 



characterise an early stage of the Graphic Art ; and display 
no proficiency in the knowledge of composition, colouring, 
and light and shade. 

Their effect on the question is but little strengthened 
by representing them as the performance of inferior ar- 
tists. The general mass of ingenuity in a nation, is more or 
less influenced by the state of knowledge, and the degree 
of excellence to which Arts have there attained : the rays of 
Genius, like those of the sun, pervade all parts of the in- 
tellectual atmosphere, and ripen into comparative perfec- 
tion, the remotest fruits of the human faculties. The meanest 
performances will betray some trace of those principles, 
which regulate and recommend the more scientific produc- 
tions of the same period. The wildest tracts of Taste will 
discover some footsteps, from which you may infer the 
general state of the country. There is scarcely a sign, or 
a tea-tray painted at present in England, which does not in- 
dicate some faint reflection from the radiance of a Reynolds. 
If we apply these observations therefore to the question 
before us, we shall draw no conclusion favourable to the 



* Pliny relates, that King Demetrius forbore to set fire 
to the city of Rhodes, lest he should destroy the picture of 
Jalysus, painted by Protogenes. Book 35. c. 10. 



CANTO THIRD. \79 

Old Time, still partial to Ausonia's claim, 
Suppress'd those ancient rivals of her Fame, 160 

Firm on her brows the wreath of painting placed, 
And what she lost in empire, gave in Taste. 



state of painting amongst the Greeks, from those specimens 
of their skill, upon which so much stress has been laid by 
injudicious advocates. 

The secopd argument, derived from the testimony of an- 
cient critics and historians, is, as far as their authority can 
be admitted, entirely in favour of the ancients. The same 
authors who extol their sculpture, speak of their painting 
with equal praise ; the admirers of Phidias, Praxiteles, and 
Agesander, are the panegyrists of Timanthes, Protogenes, 
and Apelles ; and we owe some little respect to their com- 
mendations in the one case, since we have found them to 
be so just with regard to the other. A French writer on 
this subject, who styles himself " Le Citoyen Ponce," has 
certainly laboured not unsuccessfully, to invalidate the tes- 
timony of Cicero and Pliny in this cause ; the inconsisten- 
cies of the latter are indeed too evident to require much 
ingenuity for their detection ; and however the Arts may 
be indebted to him as their historian and panegyrist, his 
authority as a critic, it is to be feared, must, as a post un- 
tenable, be given up to Citizen Ponce, and his precur- 
sor Falconet. 

But notwithstanding the confused and contradictory 
manner in which Pliny reports the opinions of his prede- 



180 ELEMENTS OF ART. 

Behold, sublimed to those high spheres of Art, 
Where Fancy sways, and Passion strikes the heart ; 



cessors, we can collect enough from him to be convinced, 
that the ancient painters were considered on a par with 
their Sculptors ; and it seems scarcely credible that those 
who could understand and applaud the highest excellence 
of Art displayed in the statues of the ancients, should 
not have required in their pictures a corresponding per- 
fection, nor have been conscious of that relative inferiority 
which has been supposed, and which must have consisted in 
defects so obvious and intelligible to ordinary observation. 

Painting, as a closer imitation of Nature, and presenting 
more points of comparison with its model, is more subject 
to criticism than sculpture, and less likely to be undeserv- 
edly commended. He that may be easily deceived in the 
superior beauties of form, character, and expression, will 
be struck by imperfections in composition, colouring and 
effect, because they are qualities of Art concerning which, 
a critical knowledge is more easily obtained. Experience 
proves, that a bad statue will pass with eclat, where a bad 
picture finds no mercy. Caeteris paribus, therefore, the 
Painter will be less praised than the Sculptor, in propor- 
tion as the powers of his art are more general, and more 
within the cognisance of his critics. 

Could we conceive a degree of excellence in imitative 
art superior to that which has been displayed by the 
sculpture of the Greeks, from the commendations which 



CANTO THIRD. 181 

Where Taste and Truth according functions fill, 165 
And moral dignifies mimetic skill, 



they have bestowed upon the productions of their painters, 
we might be justified in supposing that they had attained 
to it. 

The third argument, founded on our experience of the 
relative progress of the two Arts amongst the moderns, 
appears to be equally in favour of the ancients. 

If no vestige of the Grecian pencil had remained to our 
days ; if all the observations on the subject, which the repo- 
sitories of literature have preserved to us, had been swal- 
lowed up in the gulph of time, together with the celebrated 
works of which they treat; were there no other lights to 
guide a conjecture, than those which shine forth in the 
unrivalled examples of their sculpture, what judgment 
should we have formed of the state of painting amongst the 
Greeks, at a period, when the sister art soared to such 
perfection ? We should have found it difficult to believe, 
from any deduction of experience or analogy, that their 
pencil did not keep pace with their chissel ; or that the 
sensibility of Taste and Genius which led them to such ex- 
alted excellence in the one art, did not conduct them 
to equal refinement in all those qualities which con- 
stitute the perfection of the other. 

Amongst the moderns, the two arts, like twins, have ad- 
vanced together to maturity. Whatever difference in vigour 
they may have displayed, must perhaps be considered to 



182 ELEMENTS OF ART. 

Rome's graphic sons superior palms demand, 
And climes consenting crown the immortal band, 



appear in favour of painting, although deprived of the ad- 
vantage of ancient models in her peculiar department. 
The experience of latter ages certainly, affords no instance, 
in which sculpture has flourished in any conspicuous degree 
of excellence, where painting had not arrived to equal, if 
not greater luxuriance. 

The French writer before mentioned., thinks it reasonable 
to conclude, that as Flanders and Holland have produced 
great Painters without great Sculptors ; so, the period of 
Phidias and Praxiteles, may have been distinguished by 
great Sculptors, without great Painters. The inference 
does not appear to be either logical or illustrative. The 
example of those countries proves that painting may 
flourish where her sister art has made no progress, but 
we have had no instance in modern times of the reverse of 
this position. 

Every argument that the considerations of experience or 
analogy can supply, seems arranged on the side of those 
who believe, that the painters of antiquity did not suffer 
themselves to be distanced in the race of honourable fame ; 
that the fire of Genius could not have been kindled to 
such a blaze in the one art, without communicating the 
flame to the other, upon which it is in a great measure 
dependant ; and that if the works of Timanthes, Protoge- 
nes, and Apelles, were now existing, they would be found 



CANTO THIRD, 183 

Swift as the comet cleaves th' etherial way, 
As bright his lustre, and as brief his day, 170 

Urbino rising to the raptured eye, 
Appear'd, and blazed, and vanish'd from the sky. 



consitent with their reputation, and commensurate to the 
powers of their more fortunate contemporaries. 

A variety of other considerations, naturally arising out 
of the view of the question here taken, might be brought 
forward in support of the Author's general reasoning, did 
he not fear to stretch his note to the length of an Essay. 
Perhaps, it will be thought that he has already treated too 
diffusely a topic, upon which opinion may be allowed the 
utmost latitude, without the apprehension of danger from 
indecision, or the hope of conviction from dispute. 

Line 167. Rome* 's graphic sons superior palms demand^ — 
The Author has not considered it necessary, to give a me- 
thodical account of the different schools of Art, or a parti- 
cular enumeration of those Artists by whom they were 
established, or supported. He has touched upon the cha- 
racters of a few only of their most conspicuous ornaments, 
following no other arrangement than that which he con- 
ceives to be the order of Merit, and the precedence of 
reputation. 

The pre-eminent claims of the Roman School, in which 
the Florentine may be included, have been long and gene- 
rally acknowledged. They have soared the highest flight of 
Taste, and plucked their laurels from the proudest eleva- 



184 ELEMENTS OF ART. 

Monarch of Art! in whose august domains, 
Colleagued with Genius, soundest Judgment reigns; 
Simplicity prevails without pretence, 175 

And Fancy sports within the bounds of Sense. 



tion of historic and poetic Art. While the merits of the head 
are to be preferred to those of the hand ; while the mental, 
can be distinguished from the mechanical, their superiority 
njust remain unshaken, and their honours unimpaired. We 
hare long admired their altitude, at an humble distance, 
without a hope of rivalry, or even a desire of imitation. 

However indignantly we may defend from aspersion the 
qualities of our atmospheric air, it must be acknowledged, 
that the air of Taste amongst us, has not been hitherto suf- 
ficiently purified for the expansion of the historic wing. 
Yet some of our nobler birds have sprung from the perch, 
and sustained by their own vigour, led the way to regions, 
where it is to be hoped, that the rising gales of patronage, 
will shortly enable the whole brood to follow with safety 
and success. 

Line 173. Monarch of Art ! in whose august domains^] — 
If their devotion to the higher qualities of Art gives to the 
Roman School a just claim of distinction above the other 
Schools of Italy ; the attainment of these qualities in the 
highest perfection, must give to Raphael a just claim to be 
considered superior to the other painters of that School. 

His merits are amongst the most elevated and essential — 
Lis defects amongst the most pardonable and unimportant. 



CANTO THIRD. 185 

By Nature's hand with liberal bounty graced, 

And proudly fashion'd for the throne of Taste, 

Before his age he sprang to painting's prime, 

And forced his tardy fruits from ripening Time. 180 



He is strong wherever strength is necessary, and weak only 
where weakness may be excused : master of all that dis- 
tinguishes the Poet and the Painter, from the mechanics 
of the pencil and pen, his dignity can dispense with those 
humbler graces which are required to recommend inferior 
pretensions. What he sought he obtained, and he sought 
that which is most worthy of attainment. With powers to 
raise the mighty pillar of his art, he left it to others to de- 
corate the pedestal, and sport around its base. 

In his works we find the strongest indication of sound 
judgment, united to the purest examples of good taste. He 
never suffers himself to be seduced from simplicity to osten- 
tation — never strides beyond the pace of propriety, or swells 
beyond the measure of proportion. His inventions without 
being obvious, or familiar, are natural and probable ; 
neither straining after the eccentric, nor rejecting the un- 
common; if they have been in some instances, inappropri- 
ate, it is not so much to be ascribed to him, as to the taste 
of the age in which he lived, and to the character of those 
by whom he was employed. 

The composition of Raphael may perhaps be considered 
the highest feather of his plume, for there he displays all the 
skill of arrangement without the appearance of artifice, and 



186 ELEMENTS OF ART. 

'Twas his, to choose the nobler end of Art, 
And charm the eye, subservient to the heart ; 
To strike the chords of sentiment — to trace 
The form of dignity — the flow of grace ; 



produces the grace of variety without the affectation of 
contrast. He resorts to no scholastic pedantries of Taste 
— makes use of no mechanical substitutes for skill — intro- 
duces no supplementary figures, in theatrical attitudes, to 
fill up space : as the actors express themselves, his drama 
exhibits no walking gentlemen, without business in the 
scene, or interest in the plot. All is plain and unpretend- 
ing : his simplicity without insipidity : his grandeur with- 
out inflation. 

His groupes are not constructed according to mechanical 
system, or academical receipt. No painter ever caught like 
him the careless ease of natural action, or knew how to 
cover with the semblance of happy accident the most 
studied arrangements of science. 

The Cartoon of Christ giving the keys to Peter, affords 
an apposite illustration of Raphael's peculiar excellence in 
this way. The art of composition was perhaps never em- 
ployed with more propriety, or concealed with more suc- 
cess. It is only when we endeavour to imagine a better 
disposition of the subject, that we become sensible of the 
skill which he has used, or that we can fully appreciate the 
judicious simplicity of the arrangement which he has 
adopted. Every figure falls into its place as if by chance, 



CANTO THIRD. 187 

The Passions protean empire to control, 185 

And wield Expression's sceptre o'er the soul. 
Whate'er of life he touch'd, of youth or age, 
The pious Saint, or philosophic Sage ; 



and yet occupies the precise situation which the most 
studied attention would have suggested ; while all the 
qualities of the subject, in action, character, and expression, 
are preserved without an indication of effort, or a trace of 
pre-concertion or design. 

As the peculiar character and ambition of his art led him 
to address the mind in preference to the eye, the picturesque 
is in him always subordinate to the appropriate, and he 
disdains to cripple his subject in the consideration of lines 
and shapes. Like a judicious dramatist, he never sacrifices 
sentiment to situation, nor violates his story for stage 
effect. 

But amongst all the qualities of Raphael, there is per- 
haps, none more striking and uncommon than that noble 
and unaffected simplicity, with which he covers himself 
from the spectator of his works. Of all the actors of the 
graphic stage, he may be said to be most completly ab- 
sorbed in his part: you never catch him in a strut of 
importance^ or an artifice of affectation : he lays no little 
schemes of popular attraction ; no clap-traps for applause. 
He is the dignified chieftain of his art, who conscious that 
his strength will appear in the exploits which he performs, 



188 ELEMENTS OF ART. 

Whether, impressive in the bold design, 

The rapt Apostle pour the word divine ; 190 

Or bright, on Tabor's summit, to the skies, 

The God, in full transfigured glory, rise; 

What'er the cast of character, his hand 

Has all the moulds of Genius at command, 

To Nature true, can each strong trait impart, 195 

And stamp with Taste the sterling ore of Art. 

Next Buonaroti, rich in rival fame, 
To crown whose brows, three Arts contending claim ; 



never parades his powers before us, nor concerts a singTe 
manoeuvre for shew. 

Though deficient generally as a colourist, he seems fo 
have neglected that branch of the art rather than to have 
failed In it. Several of his eazel pictures bear evidence of 
an eye sufficiently sensible to the beauties of colouring ; 
and from some parts of the Transfiguration we are war- 
ranted in concluding, that if he had lived longer, he would 
have endeavoured, not unsuccessfully, to have added the 
Venetian laurel to his brow. 

Line 197. Next Buonaroti, rich in rival fame,'] — In 
assigning to Raphael the highest place as a painter, the 
Author is sensible that he dissents from authorities for 
which he ; s hound to entertain the greatest respect. The 
Discourses of the late President of the Royal Academy, 



CANTO THIRD. 189 

Majestic Genius ! from whose daring hand 
Springs all that's great in thought, or action grand, 
What'er can awe the soul on sacred plan, 201 

Or strike stupendous in the powers of man : 



and Lectures of an eminent Professor (Mr. Fuzeli), ap- 
pear to have effected a revolution in favour of Michael 
Angelo, and to have invested him with that supreme dig- 
nity in the empire of Art, which Raphael had so long 
enjoyed. Supplied from these powerful sources, a current 
of criticism has run of late in favour of the former, which 
the Author is by no means so vain as to suppose himself 
qualified to resist. In the scale against such authorities, 
he neither expects nor desires that his opinions should have 
any weight ; but as he cannot give them up without con- 
viction, he hopes he may avow them without arrogance.* 
The productions of Michael Angelo exhibit in a prc- 



* It is but proper to state here, that the Author has not 
had an opportunity of seeing the great works of Michae 
Angelo in the Sistini Chapel. His opinions of this extraor- 
dinary man therefore, are made up from such materials as 
casts, copies, and prints from his productions supply ; toge- 
ther with an observation of such pictures as are said to have 
been executed by him, or after his designs. A tolerably 
just estimate however, may by those means be formed of 
Tiis merits, for the qualities of his art are such as those re- 
flectors of the pencil are most competent to display. Of 



190 ELEMENTS OF ART. 

In forms emaciate cramp'd, before his day, 

The meagre muscle scarce appeared to play, 

The story's strength, the enervate action marr'd, 205 

Man seem'd a sapless statue, stiff, and hard, 



eminent degree, those qualities of Art which are the most 
specious and imposing, as well as the most vigorous and 
impressive. He is ever occupied with the extraordinary, 
the majestic, and the sublime — ever touching the extremes 
of action and character — rushing into regions of imagina- 
tion, where gigantic conceptions have room for growth, and 
the wild and terrific may be said to be at home— gaudet 
monstris mentisque tumultu. 

The accomplished critics before mentioned, have shewn 



this, there cannot perhaps, be a better proof, than that the 
learned and eloquent Professor Fuzeli, who must be sup- 
posed well acquainted with the treasures of the Sistini 
Chapel, has nevertheless chosen the Cartoon of Pisa, which 
exists only in such frail memorials, as one of the works 
from which he most particularly illustrates and exemplifies 
the merits of Michael Angelo. 

The beauties of colouring and execution, are not to be 
transferred from the canvas by any imitative process of 
this kind ; but the qualities of invention, composition, and 
design, may be perfectly well preserved in a print, and 
sometimes, through that medium, find not only a faithful, but 
a flattering likeness. 



CANTO THIRD. 191 

But torpid while the plastic lumber lay, 
Prometheus like, he fired the lifeless clay, 
Bade every limb enlarge — each breast expand, 
And pour'd a race of giants from his hand. 210 



themselves eminently qualified to explain and appreciate 
his powers : the grounds of their preference therefore, 
demand to be considered with cautious attention, and dis- 
puted with a Yery apprehensive dissent. The Author must 
confess however, that he has- not quite so much deference 
for the crowd that follow in their track. The majority of 
those who give tongue so loudly in the present full cry of 
Michael Angelo, can scarcely be considered as having a 
scent of the game : they are the mere yelpers of the criti- 
cal pack, and always the more loud in proportion as they 
are less sagacious : they see his sublimity only in his ex- 
travagance : they estimate his fire only by his smoke. 

A true relish of the sublime, is one of the rarest qualities 
of good Taste ; like all rare things therefore, it is much in 
demand : to be thought to possess it, is the great ambition 
of criticism, and as few are furnished with the sterling coin, 
vanity delights to jingle the counterfeit. We are easily in- 
duced to embrace opinions which it is fashionable to pro- 
fess ; the idle, the vain, and the servile, are always ready 
converts when they can approve with safety what they can- 
not oppose without risk. They who have less judgment 
than affectation, delight to shelter under a great name, and 
loudly proclaim their raptures, when admiration is sup- 



192 ELEMENTS OF ART. 

Behold him, still as Genius prompts, impart 
A bolder grace to each subservient Art, 
While now the powers of Phidias he displays, 
Now leaves Palladio but the second praise, 



posed to imply the purest refinement of feeling, and the 
proudest elevation of Taste. 

The Author is aware, that there is some danger in dis- 
senting from so formidable a sect ; he knows, that there is 
no salvation out of the pale of their church : all those who 
do not acquiesce in their sentiments are damned at once, as 
deficient in that refined sensibility of Taste, which is the 
saving grace of their doctrine. This, it must be acknow- 
ledged, is a mode of settling the point, as flattering to 
their feelings as it is convenient to their arguments ; they 
at once quit the open plain of reason and common sense, 
and take a position above the level of investigation, which, 
as their opponents cannot approach, they need not be at 
the trouble to defend. 

It must not however be supposed, that in exalting the 
genius of Raphael, the Author desires to depreciate that 
of Michael Angelo : he should be sorry to contradict in his 
notes, the admiration of his character which he has endea- 
voured to express in his text : it is as a painter only, that 
he presumes to assign to him the second place, and consi- 
ders Raphael as entitled to precedence. An opinion, per- 
fectly consistent with a just impression of his general 
excellence, and in defence of which, no trifling support 



CANTO THIRD. 193 

"Whether he rears the Prophet's form on high, 215 
Or hangs the dome enormous in the sky, 
On painting's proudest pinion soars sublime, 
Scales heav'n itself, and scorns the bounds of Time; 



may be derived from the (perhaps inadvertent) admissions 
of some who appear to have maintained an opposite senti- 
ment. 

Reynolds, in his Fifth Discourse, acknowledges, " that 
our judgment must on the whole, decide in favour of Ra- 
phael." In his Twelfth, he calls him li the first of 
painters." 

Of all the qualities of Art, the sublime is that which 
appears to be the most vague, irregular and undefined ; 
scarcely two writers are agreed as to its properties or pow- 
ers : for instruction, they give us declamation — for settled 
principles, they produce disputable examples. It may 
be said to be in some measure, the intoxicating spirit of 
Taste — the insane point of the critical compass ; for those 
who talk rationally on other subjects, no sooner touch on 
this, than they go off in a literary delirium ; fancy them- 
selves, like Longinus, M the great sublime they draw," and 
rave like methodists, of inward lights, and enthusiastic 
emotions, which, if you cannot comprehend, you are set 
down as un-illumined by the grace of criticism, and ex- 
cluded from the elect of Taste. 

In painting, and in poetry, critics seem to be equally 
unsettled and unsatisfactory on the subject of the sublime. 

o 



194 ELEMENTS OF ART. 

Thro 5 all his toils, triumphant vigour swells, 

And grandeur in impressive glory dwells. 220 

His fiery soul beyond this sphere of things, 

To man's more awful scene hereafter springs ; 

The celebrated passage of Genesis, quoted by Longinus, 
u Let there be light, and there was light," has been 
denied to possess this quality by eminent authorities.* 
Reynolds says, that he has seen figures of Michael Angelo, 
of which it was difficult to determine, whether they were 
in the " highest degree sublime ," or in the " greatest degree 
ridiculous." 

Who shall walk in safety on this brink ? whose Taste 
shall hope to be fixed, where the pendulum of Reynolds 
shakes with so tremendous a vibration ? But we must ever 
fluctuate in opinion, when we have no standard in prin- 
ciple ; when we make fallacious, and often affected feel- 
ing the measure of our admiration, and deliver up the 
reins of our understanding to chimera and caprice. The 
bounds of Nature and good Sense once passed, we must be 
content to wander amongst precipices, without a guide ; 
exposed to mistake extravagance for grandeur, and to fall 
into the burlesque when we would soar into the sublime. 

The works of Michael Angelo, are acknowledged to 



* Two eminent French critics particularly, have dis- 
puted the sublimity of this expression : M. Le Clerc anc( 
M. Huet, the learned Bishop of Avranch©, 



CANTO THIRD. 195 

With fearless hand unfolds the final state, 

That closes the catastrophe of Fate ; 

Displays the pangs of guilt to vengeance hurl'd, 225 

While heav'n'sjust sentence shakes the shudd'ring world. 



possess in a greater degree, than those of any other pain- 
ter, that quality, which is generally considered the sublime. 
The character of Art which this term expresses, maybe 
said to have, in modern times, originated with him ; and 
in his hands it attained to a degree of power and impression, 
which his successors have not been able to improve. Some- 
times indeed, his gesture is exaggerated to distortion, and 
his grandeur totters on the verge of extravagance : but he 
who takes a great leap cannot always measure the exertion 
required, and vigour will rather exceed than fall short of 
his distance. Yet, allowing Buonaroti to be superior in 
this great quality, it will require to be proved, that this 
single advantage is sufficient, to turn the scale of compari- 
son against the many other important parts of the art, in 
which he has been surpassed by Raphael. If the star of 
grandeur shines with a fiercer blaze over the head of Mi- 
chael Angelo, it is surpassed by the collective light of that 
constellation of merits which forms the glory of his rival. 

But if in dignity and elevation of style, the former be 
conspicuous, the latter certainly cannot be said to be de- 
fective. If greatness be the commanding characteristic of 
the one, it is also a striking quality of the other. In Buo- 
naroti it is a torrent that swells into floods, tumbles in 



19$ ELEMENTS OF ART, 

But lo ! from climes less genial, where the Muse, 
With pride her Belgic trophies still reviews ; 



cataracts, and overwhelms with one vast deluge the whole 
expanse of cultivated Taste. In Raphael it is a current 
restricted to its proper channel, that rolls with majestic 
force, or glides with graceful dignity, through those tracts 
only, where it assimilates to the character of the country, 
and forms an appropriate feature of the scene. 

Michael Angelo was, perhaps, the greatest genius* of 
which the history of the Art can boast ; he was certainly 
the greatest artist, but surely, not the greatest painter : 
here Raphael rises to our view, and in every quality of 
good taste, except that before conceded, takes the lead of 
his competitor. If the one has imagined a race of giants, the 
other has dignified the race of man. Michael Angelo swells 
his subject to his conceptions ; Raphael suits his concep- 
tions to his subject: the first shoots farther, but the second 
hits the mark. The one is a racer that passes all his com- 



* The rank which Michael Angelo holds as a painter, 
he may be said to deserve by a double title : it is main- 
tained not only by what he has done, but by what he has 
enabled others to do. His daring Genius first opened the 
path in which others have travelled beyond him ; and 
Raphael perhaps, is indebted to him for the improvement 
of those powers by which he surpassed his benefactor. 



CANTO THIRD. 197 

Rubens with spoils enrich'd — with honours graced, 
Completes the great triumvirate of Taste; 230 

High waves proud Competition's flag unfurl'd, 
And claims to share the homage of the world. 



petitors, and then runs out of the course : the other with 
less mettle is more manageable, and wins the race by regu- 
lating his speed. 

Line 230. Completes the great triumvirate of Taste ;] — It 
is not without hesitation, that the Author has ventured to 
select Rubens as the lawful colleague of the two preceding 
great Artists in the empire of Virtu. All the powers of 
colouring appeared to maintain the pretensions of Titian, 
while Grace and Harmony combined to support the milder 
claims of Correggio. 

The Author's difficulty on this occasion, however, has 
originated rather from a deference to the opinions of others, 
than from any fluctuation in his own. The more he has 
examined the works, or considered the extraordinary qua- 
lities of Rubens, the more he has been convinced of his just 
title to that exalted station which has been assigned to him in 
the text. The pedantic connoisseurs indeed, of all countries, 
from the learned and laborious Winckelman, to the light 
and superficial Webb, have united in depreciating his repu- 
tation : all the dealers in delicate sentiment — the double 
refiners of feeling — the self-satisfied professors of exqui- 
site sensibility and pure Taste, have made it a point to con- 
sider him ? as out of the sphere of their discriminative 



198 ELEMENTS OF ART. 

The powers of painting in his praise combine, 
And wreaths unfading round his temples twine; 
For him, Invention opens all her springs, 235 

And Fancy wafts him on her wildest wings ; 



sagacity, and have disregarded his merits, in an affected 
exaggeration of his faults. 

But whatever the fame of Rubens may lose by the igno- 
rance and prejudice of affected dilettanti, the admiration of 
the skilful artist and enlightened connoisseur, will more 
than sufficiently repay. However policy may induce him 
to chime in with the prevailing peal of criticism, the painter 
always does justice to Rubens in his heart; for he who 
tries to do what Rubens has done, will soon learn to vene- 
rate his powers, and appreciate the judgment of those, who 
are insensible to the wonders which they have performed. 

The dominions of Rubens are too vast for the survey of 
an ordinary connoisseur ; he must have attained to some 
considerable eminence of taste, who can take a compre- 
hensive view of the various districts which are included 
within the circle of his sway. He is a monarch, whose 
powers have placed him above the law : invested with the 
inviolability of Genius, he rules his Art with lawless ma- 
jesty ; and seems not amenable to those petty tribunals, 
which decide on the pretensions of more limited autho- 
rities. 

In truth of expression, in dignity of character, and purity 
of design, he has been surpassed by the great masters of 



CANTO THIRD. 199 

Her magic hand light Execution lends, 
And Colouring her rich, tissued robe extends. 
Whether, to heav'n devote, his skill divine, 
Adorns, with sacred themes, the hallow'd shrine ; 240 



the Roman School ; but in every other power and province 
of his art, he may be said to triumph in his turn. In the 
fire of imagination, in fertility of fancy, and force of im- 
pression, he has never been surpassed : in energy, and ani 
mation, he has never been equalled. His figures breathe, 
and act before us, with a vitality so vigorous ; their mo- 
tions are so much alive, so sustained and instantaneous ; so 
indicative of the preceding and the ensuing, that we almost 
fancy we see the progression of event, and expect to behold 
the action finished which has been so impressively begun. 

No other painter perhaps, can boast so indisputable a 
claim to the distinction of originality. The labours of 
Massacio and Leonardo da Vinci, are supposed to have 
supplied more than a hint of that grand gusto of design 
which afterwards appeared with such majesty in the pro- 
ductions of Michael Angelo ; Raphael himself, may be said 
to have risen, in some measure, on the wings of Buonaroti ; 
and the meridian splendour of Titian, had unequivocally 
dawned in the rich glow of Giorgione. But the taste, the 
style — the colouring — the execution of Rubens are peculi- 
arly his own : we trace him to no higher spring : all his 
rivers rise in his proper territory, and partake of the qua- 
lities of the soil. He appears to have formed himself on 



200 ELEMENTS OF ART, 

Or learn'd in Allegory's mystic maze, 
The acts of Kings and Heroes he displays ; 
Whether, with nymphs and satyrs lured to rove, 
He frolics, wild, in Pan's laugh-echoing grove ; 



no previous models ; and what he derived from his pre- 
decessors he had the skill to conceal. However the 
labours of others may have supplied the seeds of his art, or 
assisted the cultivation, we find in his garden no trans, 
planted beauties, no slips ingeniously grafted from the 
stock of his neighbours ; all seems the natural growth of 
the soil, and displays its peculiar characteristics, in wild 
luxuriance of leaf, and un-repressible vigour of vegetation. 
The versatility of his pencil, is one of its most extraor- 
dinary properties. If Michael Angelo be the most general 
artist, Rubens must be admitted to be the most general 
painter ; he contends with the first, in every department of 
his art, and is a formidable rival in each . He has left 
no theme of Taste untouched, and we may apply to him 
what Johnson says of Goldsmith, that " nullum quod 
tetigit quod non ornavit." His ambition also, was equal 
to his ability; the sweep of his wing takes in the most 
extended range of Art, from the loftiest flight of fancy, to 
the humblest toil of imitation. He can soar with Buona- 
roti to the sublimities of the Vatican, or descend with 
Sneyders to the lowest orders of animal life. From a 
proud contention with the powers of Claude, and Poussin, 
amidst the most magnificent scenery of Nature, he can turn 



CANTO THIRD. 201 

The landscape spreads with light, luxuriant grace, 245 
Or hunts in sylvan scenes, the savage race ; 
Whatever shape the graphic Proteus wears, 
The full magnificence of Art appears; 



aside, in the humblest varieties of vegetable fame, to rival 
Rachel Ruisch and Vanhuysum. 

We should rather pity, than envy the taste of those, 
whether painters or critics, who can behold such varied 
excellence without a touch of enthusiasm, or a tribute of 
admiration : we may consider their feelings as rather per- 
verted than refined, and distrust at once their pretensions 
%o sensibility, and their proficiency in science. 

But it is useless to vindicate him who is secure in his 
own strength : the clamours of affectation can never seri- 
ously affect the fame of Rubens, while there shall exist 
judgment to distinguish merit, and courage to defend it : 
he moves like a Leviathan, in the ocean of Virtu, unhurt 
by the sword-fish of criticism, and regardless of the meaner 
fry of offensive imbecility, which follows in his mighty 
course. 

The Author cannot refuse himself the pleasure of quoting 
the testimony of Reynolds, to the powers of Rubens, even 
where he has presumed to bend the bow of Michael 
Angelo. The examination of the picture of the fallen 
angels in the Dusseldorf Gallery, closes with the following 
observation : " If we consider the fruitfulness of inven- 
tion which is discovered in this work, or the skill which is 



202 ELEMENTS OF ART. 

All that the head can plan, or hand perforin, 
Delight in theory, or in practice charm. 250 

Yet Genius, oft unequal found, by turns, 
Now blazes fierce, and now as feebly burns ; 
In Rubens' course we trace each wide extreme, 
Its dazzling lustre, and its doubtful gleam: 
But tho', like Avon's bard, his orb displays 0,55 

Some darker parts amid tbe general blaze, 



shewn in composing such an infinite number of figures, or 
the art of the distribution of the light and shadow, the 
freedom of hand, the facility with which it seems to have 
been performed, and what is more extraordinary, the cor- 
rectness and admirable taste of drawing figures fore-short- 
ened in attitudes the most difficult to execute, we must 
pronounce this picture to be one of the greatest efforts of 
Genius that ever the Art has produced." 

From Reynolds's character of Rubens, which, for just, 
elegant, and discriminative criticism, is perhaps, unequalled 
amongst all the literary effusions which have been poured 
forth at the shrine of graphic Genius, the Author also sub- 
joins the following applicable remark. 

" Those who cannot see the extraordinary merit of this 
great painter, either have a narrow conception of the va- 
riety of Art, or are led away by the affectation of approving 
nothing but what comes from the Italian School." 



CANTO THIRD. 203 

Struck by his splendours, each rapt eye admires, 
For while we see his spots, we feel his fires. 

As petty chiefs fall prostrate, and obey, 
While monarchs move their strength in proud array ; 
But when the pomp is past, the peril o'er, 261 

Rebel against the rod they kiss'd before ; 
So, cavilling tribes who roam the graphic waste, 
Scarce rescued from the savage state of Taste, 
Assail the rights of Rubens, grudge his praise, 265 
And talk high treason 'gainst the state he sways ; 
But, when triumphant crown'd in every part, 
He moves in some vast enterprize of Art, 
His lawful claims, licentious critics own ; 
And wondering painters bend before his throne. 270 

But should more humble views of Art invite 
The captive sense, and colouring's charms delight, 
Behold Venetia's sons ! a gorgeous train ! 
Their ancient swaynnrivall'd still maintain. 
But chief, her pride, immortal Titian holds 275 

The palette's brilliant treasures, and unfolds : 
High o'er the skies, where beauteous Iris flings 
Her bow divine, by Genius led, he springs, 



£04 ELEMENTS OF ART. 

Day's dazzling source with fearless plume explores, 

Till lights pure offspring yield him all their stores. 280 

Whate'er his vigorous pencil pours to view, 

The face of Nature glows in golden hue, 

While shedding light on beauty — bloom on youth, 

The touch of Taste, displays the tint of Truth ; 



Line 284. The touch of Taste ^ displays the tint of 'Truth ;] 
— Of Rubens, Reynolds observes, that " he was the best 
workman with his tools,, that ever handled a pencil." The 
expression appears somewhat vague, but as far as the Au* 
thor understands it, he is inclined to transfer to Titian 
whatever praise it may be supposed to convey. In a gene- 
ral sense, u the best workman with his tools" is he who 
employs them most skilfully ; for the excellence of the 
work, is the only safe test of the goodness of the workman ; 
and the best, is not he who performs with the greatest 
facility, but he who produces the greatest perfection. In 
this sense the commendation does not appear to be parti- 
cularly applicable to Rubens, and therefore, could not 
have been intended by Reynolds. But if the remark (as 
may be more reasonably supposed) relates to the power of 
imitation only — to the dexterity of execution— the mere 
hand writing, in which the painter's thoughts are expressed, 
the Author conceives, that the highest refinement of those 
qualities is to be found in the practice of Titian, and that 
he is the more proper object of the panegyric. 

If mere mechanism be considered — mere bravura of 



CANTO THIRD. 205 

With softness strength combines, with freedom, care, 
Depth, without darkness — splendour, without glare. 286 
Warm from his hand, the Queen of Beauty claims 
The critic's homage, and his heart inflames : 



penciling, without reference to the grace, fidelity, and viva- 
city of representation, the powers of both Rubens and 
Titian, may be surpassed by the decorater of a Birming- 
ham tea-board ; but if the best workman with his tools, 
be he, who combines in the representation of an object, 
the most scientific truth of expression, with the purest 
taste of execution ; whose pencil unites to the most delicate 
refinement of hue, the most appropriate freedom of hand, 
and the happiest selection of accident ; it will be difficult 
to set aside, even in favour of Rubens, the pretensions of 
Titian to that character. 

We should be careful, not to confound a mechanical 
sleight of hand — the mere parade of penciling, with those 
higher merits of the workman, which, what is commonly 
called execution, tends more to impede than produce. 

But if imitation be the essence of painting, and if Titian 
be considered the best of all imitators, it may perhaps 
be asked, why he should not be esteemed the greatest of all 
painters ? A few observations will explain. 

Though, in a general sense, painting may be said to be 
imitation, yet, that imitation consists of different kinds, 
more or less mental or mechanical ; as, imitation of ar- 
rangement, or disposition — of form — of character — of ex- 



206 ELEMENTS OF ART* 

O'er all her form, a mellow'd lustre shines, 
In luscious languor every limb reclines ; 290 

Light o'er each part, the love-taught pencil plays, 
And blushing sweets at every touch betrays; 



pression — of light and shade — and of colours. Imitation 
may also be considered under two heads — imitation of that 
idea, object, or picture, which exists only in the mind; 
and imitation of an object, or picture as presented to the 
eye ; the latter of these, is, in the painter's language, more 
particularly termed imitation, as an exercise of the eye, 
and the hand only : the former is called invention, and in- 
cludes a vigorous effort of the memory and imagination. 
As every Art claims our esteem, in proportion to the de- 
gree of intellectual power which it displays, it follows, 
that the inventor is superior to the imitator. The concep- 
tion of a subject, story, or plot, the discovery and con- 
nection, of such events and circumstances, as are best cal- 
culated to convey whatever moral the poet and the painter 
design to express, must be considered the first and highest 
effort of invention ; as requiring the purest exercise of the 
mental faculties ; the most independant of external aids, 
and unmingled with mechanical operations. From this 
point the poet and the painter start in different directions, 
each to run his particular career. 

The subject, as conceived in the painter's mind, must now 
be transferred to the material upon which he works, and 
such an arrangement made of the figures and objects con- 



CANTO THTRD. 207 

Effects so rich, by means so simple wrought ! 
'Tis magic's sport to mock the toil of thought ; 
Tis Time's increasing wonder, as he pores, Q.Q5 

Tis Painting's miracle, and Taste adores ! 

Pleased could the Muse the grateful task pursue, 
And each bright ornament of Art review, 



nected with it, as may be most judiciously adapted to 
strike the eye and the mind of the beholder. This second 
operation of invention is called disposition, or composition, 
and forms the first part of imitation, in its more general 
sense. 

The subject however, may be well conceived, the scene 
well arranged, and the objects properly placed, without 
any particular grace, energy, or animation in the action of 
the figures represented ; picturesque, appropriate, and ele- 
gant action therefore, may be considered the third part of 
invention, and the second of the higher kind of imitation. 
It is obvious, that all the foregoing merits may exist in a 
considerable degree, without conspicuous beauty or sym- 
metry in the forms, just adaptation in the characters, or 
due discrimination in the passions attempted to be ex- 
pressed ; and it is equally obvious, that the several parts 
of the Art, which come under the description of subject, 
composition, action, form, character, and expression, may 
be acquired in great perfection, without any superior 



208 ELEMENTS OF ART. 

Delighted, lingering in the paths of fame, 
To mark with honours due, each humbler name ; 300 
But, that she fears the truant song might seem 
Too oft excursive, wandering from her theme : 



skill in chiaro 'scuro, and colouring : the most essen- 
tial and intellectual parts of the Art therefore, are com- 
paratively, independant of the two last qualities ; and he 
who displays the former, in the greatest perfection, must 
always be esteemed the greatest painter, although he may 
be surpassed in those subordinate and more mechanical 
accomplishments. 

Though not the best imitator of a particular individual, 
or object, he is the best imitator of general nature, in her 
most dignified features and impressive effects — he repre- 
sents man and passion — sentiment and situation with the 
greatest fidelity and discrimination, though he may but in- 
accurately express those inferior qualities of Nature and Art, 
which are so important and attractive to the common eye. 

It is upon the principles here stated, that the Roman 
School takes the lead of all the other schools of painting, 
and that Raphael takes precedence of all painters. Titian 
surpasses Raphael in the merits of colouring, chiaro 'scuro 
and execution ; but Raphael excels Titian in all that is 
valuable in invention, judicious in composition, energetic 
in action, correct in form, dignified in character, and ap- 
propriate in expression. The one commands in a particular 
province^ but the other rules in the general empire of Art, 



CANTO THIRD. 209 

Yet, should her feeble pinion stretch so far, 

'Twere needless toil to number every star ; 

No aid of optick science it requires, 305 

To point the eye to planetary fires, 

That beaming glories, burst upon the sight, 

And strike at once, by magnitude and light. 

Yet, not forgotten 'mongst the radiant train, 
Thy boast, Bologna! claims no common strain; 310 
Carrachi hail ! in fame and friendship join'd, 
Kindred in blood, and close in Art combined; 
'Twas thine awhile, triumphant to sustain 
The drooping Muse, and guide the graphic train; 
To form a style, where painting's scatter'd rays, 315 
Collected in one dazzling focus blaze; 
Where Genius glowing with young Amnion's fires, 
To rule o'er every realm of Taste aspires: 



and if he be comparatively defective in the lower depart- 
ments of imitation, it is only, because he has been occupied 
by nobler functions, and engaged in the more comprehen- 
sive operations of his sway. 

Line 318. To rule o'er every realm of Taste aspires:^ — 
The school founded by the Carrachi at Bologna is particu- 
larly distinguished by the comprehensive plan of study, upon 

P 



210 ELEMENTS OF ART. 

Disdains the common conquest of a part, 

And grasps with daring hand the globe of Art. 320 

Still might immortal names prolong my lays, 
Deserve your study, and demand your praise; 



which they proposed to erect their reputation. To com- 
bine in one grand scheme of art, those scattered merits, of 
which the attainment of one, in an eminent degree, had been 
thought sufficient to employ the attention and establish the 
celebrity of other Artists, must be considered a design, daring 
and ambitious at least, if not prudent and practicable. 

The propriety of their attempt however, has been much 
questioned, and as their example in this respect, has not 
been often imitated, we must suppose it to be generally 
disapproved. 

That he who is diligent in pursuit of one object, will be 
more likely to obtain his end, than he who divides his at- 
tention amongst many, is an observation as trite as it is 
true. That one part of the art also, carried to great per- 
fection, is of more value than several parts cultivated only 
to mediocrity, will doubtless be thought equally evident. 
These however, like all general principles, will admit of 
qualification, and may be very injudiciously applied. 

To fail in a great enterprise, may be sometimes, more 
honourable than to succeed in one of inferior conse- 
quence: he whose ardour of ascent is obliged to stop 
short of the summit of iEtna ; must not be classed with him 



CANTO THIRD. 211 

Graceful, Correggio's mellow pencil flows, 

la milder majesty of Art he glows; 

The powers of harmony support his throne, 325 

And Parma proudly claims him for her own. 



whose ambitious career is accomplished on the top of the 
Monument. 

Every Art is made up of certain parts, which may be 
called its instruments — the means by which its effects are 
produced : in proportion to the skill with which he uses 
these instruments, we value the dexterity of the workman ; 
and according to the subject upon which he employs them, 
we estimate his genius. The instruments of painting are de 
sign, composition, chiaro 'scuro, colouring, and execution ; 
as the instruments of poetry are measure, verse, rhyme, me- 
lody, metaphor, &c. ; and the painter, or the poet, who is 
inexpert in the use of any one of these agents, must be con- 
fessed to want one of the essential tools of his trade. They 
may be termed the features of the graphic and poetic face, 
through whose operation must be displayed, all the dif- 
ferent meanings and emotions of the Muse : they are the 
prime elements of expression in both Arts, and to combine 
them in one grasp, seems not only desirable, but necessary 
to complete the character of a poet, or a painter. 

That it is difficult to effect this union, appears to be no 
good argument against the propriety of attempting it. 
What is easily performed, is seldom highly esteemed : the 
crown of Taste is not to be conferred on ordinary claims, 



212 ELEMENTS OF ART, 

Rembrandt, supreme in cbiaro 'scuro crown'd, 

In practice strong, in principle profound. 

Poussin on strength of antique lore relies, 

And Veronese with Vecelli vies. 330 



or common achievements ; and we have a right to exact 
from the workman, a due endeavour, to accomplish every- 
thing that is essential to the perfection of the work. 

But, the instruments of the painter, it may he said ? 
are of such arduous management, that to acquire equal 
skill in the use of them all, is beyond the reach of human 
ingenuity, and to attempt it', but an injudicious diversion of 
those powers, which, in a more restricted exertion, might 
attain to pre-eminent dexterity ; that design, composition, 
chiaro 'scuro, and colouring, though but parts of painting, 
are studies, each of which, is in itself, sufficient to occupy 
through life, the whole force of the human faculties, and 
that conspicuous excellence in one of those qualities, has 
always been considered an undeniable proof of genius, and 
a certain passport to fame. 

A little experience of the difficulties which attend the 
acquisition of power in any of those departments of Art, 
certainly, gives a plausibility to this reasoning, which is 
not a little assisted, by the consideration that no individual 
has exhibited all those merits in any conspicuous perfec- 
tion, and that few have excelled in more than one of them. 

The difficulties of painting however, in all its constitu- 
ent parts, may be a good argument, why a man should not 



CANTO THIRD. 213 



Some, prized for parts, to reputation reach, 
And all, consulted in their sphere, may teach ; 



attempt to become a painter, but can be no argument, why 
a painter should not endeavour to become skilled in all 
the constituent parts of his Art. The respectable de- 
gree, in which the Carrachi acquired them, is a proof, 
that much may be effected ; and warrants us in believing, 
that they would have been oftener attained, if they had 
been oftener attempted. 

Although the human powers are bounded, their limits 
are unknown ; the sphere of their influence has always 
been extended by genius and ambition, beyond the calcu- 
lations of prudence, or the hopes of timidity ; and he who 
justly estimates, how far performance has exceeded expec- 
tation in the past, will not be easily induced, to check the 
boldness of enterprize, or divert the vigorous wing from 
an exalted flight, in the cold anticipation of a fall. We 
may fail by attempting too little, as well as too much ; and 
we should not, too readily, provide excuses for indolence, 
or countenance the desire to ascribe that to the weakness 
of our nature, which is only the defect of our industry. 

We must not confound the ends, or objects of the Art, 
with its means, or agents ; history, portrait, landscape, 
familiar life, still life, &c. are the objects of painting ; de- 
sign, composition, colouring, &c. (as before observed) are 
the agents, by which those objects are effected; and al- 
though we should perhaps, confine our attention to some 



214 ELEMENTS OF ART. 

The curious chemistry of Taste employ, 

Extract the gold, and leave the coarse alloy. 

His eye impartial Genius glancing round, 335 

Pays homage still, wherever merit's found ; 



one of the former, yet in all of the latter, we are justly 
required to be skilled. 

To urge the painter, or the poet, to the pursuit of ex- 
cellence, in all the different provinces of their respective 
arts, would be equally absurd and ineffectual. But surely, 
it is no unreasonable precept, which teaches the propriety 
of endeavouring to excel in all those qualities, which are 
essential to the perfection of each. How are the magical 
effects of Rembrandt degraded by the gross vulgarity of 
his characters, and the revolting deformities of his design ! 
How are the purity, propriety, and correctness of Poussin, 
deprived of their impression, by his unskilful colouring, and 
unscientific effects ! 

A consideration of human weakness, may lead us to ex- 
cuse him who does not possess all the instruments of his 
art, but should not induce us to justify him, who does not 
attempt to acquire them. 

From peculiarities of eye and taste, we are commonly, 
seduced in our practice, to a preference of some particular 
quality, which perhaps, becomes the most important in our 
account, because it is most within our reach : but this ten- 
dency to contract the sphere of our exertion, and leave, as 
it were, some of the most effective organs of our Art, com- 



CANTO THIRD. 215 

From each slow son of patient labour learns, 
And praise in Dutch fidelity discerns. 



paratively inert and unexercised, should be rather opposed 
than encouraged. 

It seems unwise, to establish on principle, a kind of 
systematic indifference to the attainment of any of the 
essential qualities of good Art. 

The Sculptor would not be much applauded, who in 
pursuit of form, should neglect expression, and grace ; nor 
should the painter be justified, who contents himself, with 
exhibiting the proportions of Apollo in parchment, or la- 
vishing the blooms of an Hebe, on awkwardness and defor- 
mity. 

The design of Raphael, the colouring of Titian, the 
chiaro 'scuro of Rembrandt, and the execution of Tintoret, 
we perhaps may not reasonably expect to see surpassed : 
but to collect those scattered rays in one bright assemblage 
of graphical perfections, is an achievement reserved for the 
enterprising spirit of modern times, and worthy the ambi- 
tion of Genius to accomplish. 

The Author has the mortification to perceive, that sen. 
timents similar to those which are here expressed, have 
experienced the pointed opposition of the learned Pro- 
fessor of Painting before alluded to ; and it may perhaps, 
be thought a proof of some hardihood, to avow opinions, 
which, even the high authority of the Carrachi could not 
shield from his eloquent reprobation. But though the 



216 ELEMENTS OF ART. 

Let not the pedantry of Taste despise 

The humbler beauties of Batavian skies : S40 

Tho' Painting there, no epic wreath requires, 

Nor feels, nor feigns to feel poetic fires; 

principles of the Bolognan School make but a sorry figure 
in Agostino Carrachi's poetry, they do not appear to be 
very happily ridiculed in the Professor's prose : the battery 
of illustration which he brings to bear upon the argument, 
does not seem to play with much effect ; and if a union of 
the different merits of painting, in one comprehensive 
style, be absurd and impracticable, it is neither very logically 
nor analogically proved, by comparing it to " a multitude 
of dissimilar threads composing one uniform texture, a 
dissemination of spots making masses, or a little of many 
things producing a legitimate whole."* 

The rhyming recipe of Agostino certainly, is not com- 
posed " secundum artem ;" and though the present Author 
might be suspected to have a fellow-feeling for a brother 
bard, as he is himself engaged in a similar sort of poetical 
practice, yet he surrenders it most willingly to the Profes- 
sor's indignation. The laureat of the eclectic style is per- 
haps treated more harshly " than might the offence beseem." 
But in upsetting the sonnet, his sarcastic assailant must not 
imagine that he has subverted the school. Until symmetry 
of form — grace of action — beauty of colour, and a happy 

* Fuzeli's Lectures, page 82. 



CANTO THIRD. 217 

Content on boors and burgomasters still, 

At wakes and weddings, to display her skill ; 

Tho' Fancy too, each towering flight deterr'd, 345 

Degenerates there, a tame domestic bird ! 



effect of light and shade, shall be proved an inconsistent 
assemblage of qualities in the works of Nature, there may 
be some excuse for those who persist to think, that they are 
merits by no means incompatible with each other, and which 
might possibly be united in the productions of Art. 

Line 340. The humbler beauties of Bat avian skies:'] — The 
contempt which some critics express for the works of the 
Dutch School, seems to be equally unjust and absurd ; and 
may be suspected to proceed rather from the affectation, 
than the refinement of Taste. 

Familiar life, is a legitimate object of the pencil as well 
as heroic life ; and though, in a comparative estimate of the 
different pursuits of painting, the one is greatly inferior in 
importance and impression to the other, yet each has its 
value in the scale of human ability; its appropriate excel- 
lence, and peculiar praise. 

The claims of merit certainly, should not be confounded, 
nor the gradations of fame so deranged, as to deck the 
brows of Hudibras or Hemskirk, with the wreaths of 
Homer and of Raphael. We ought prudently to measure out 
our reverence, and not lavish on inferior pretensions, those 
honours of admiration, which are the only adequate reward 
of noble and heroic achievement: but neither should we 



2118 ELEMENTS OF ART, 

In homely scenes alone, familiar found, 

To skip, and sport, and flutter on the ground ; 

Strong, in their glass reflected tho' we own, 

The broad low comedy of life alone, 350 



wantonly degrade the efforts of humbler Genius in a lower 
sphere ; nor illiberally refuse all commendation to him who 
has done well, because he cannot be said to have done best. 

The intellectual as well as the physical appetite requires 
variety, and however refined by delicacies, will sometimes, 
have a relish for homely fare. The mind cannot always 
feed upon the epics of Poetry and Art : he that has fol- 
lowed with rapture the flight of the eagle, will at length 
turn his eye to the ground, and be pleased with the flutter- 
ers of the hedge. From the sublimities of Homer and 
Michael Angelo, it may not be unpleasant, to unbend a 
little with the humour of Horace and Hogarth ; and the 
seriousness of history and the severity of science, will often 
be agreeably relieved in the ridicule of comedy and the 
delusions of romance. 

We do not like to have our faculties always upon the 
stretch : high scenes, and high sentiments, require an effort 
in the Reader, and the Spectator, as well as in the Poet 
and the Painter. We cannot be long wound up to the 
heroic pitch, without desiring to descend to a lower key- 
to modulate in softer tones of sentiment, and simpler 
movements of delight. 

He who can fill up the chasm between apathy and ex. 



CANTO THIRD. 219 

Yet Truth is there, and Nature, while we trace 
Her coarser character, and common face, 
Avows her image mark'd on every part, 
And by her sanction consecrates their Art. 



tacy, with innocent gratification ; who makes no great 
demands on our intellects or our feelings, and without pre- 
tending to instruct or astonish, aspires only to please and 
amuse, is a valuable contributor to the stock of our most 
useful enjoyments, and deserves well his rank and re- 
ward. 

Familiar life is the comedy of Art: and though the 
Dutch dramatists of the pencil delight in the coarser cast 
of humour, yet, their characters are so well preserved, their 
situations so well chosen, and their scenery so appropriate, 
that it is impossible to refuse them the praise of excellence 
in their peculiar sphere ; and as the theatrical critic will 
sometimes allow the emotions of pity and terror to subside 
in a farce or a pantomime, it would not be derogatory to 
the dignity of the connoisseur, in the languid pauses of 
epic admiration, to turn from the sublimities of Italy to the 
drolls of Batavia, and condescend to smile with Ostade or 
Teniers. 

But the would-be critic is ever aspiring to the altitudes 
of Art; always struggling up the steep of grandeur, or 
panting on some eminence of pride ; his taste is too refined 
to breathe in the low regions of familiar life : he has no 
sympathy with common scenes, or common sentiments, and 



220 ELEMENTS OF ART, 

But where, alas ! shall Study's eager eye 355 

Behold those glories of the graphic sky ? 
In Turkish state immured from vulgar view, 
Collections are seraglios of Virtu ; 
Where Painting's beauties shine, shut up with care, 
While connoisseurs, like eunuchs, guard them there ! 



despises everything as vulgar and low, that is not elevated 
and sublime. 

But whatever objection may be made to the subjects 
upon which the Dutch School principally employed their 
talents, their excellence as imitators, cannot reasonably 
be disputed : they are the only painters, who may be said 
to have completely effected their object, and succeeded 
in producing all the perfection which is required in their 
style of Art. He who desires to see the characters and 
manners of common life, more faithfully, or skilfully repre- 
sented, will probably, never be gratified ; and must have 
formed to himself, some fanciful standard of excellence, 
which Nature has not supplied, and painting cannot ap- 
proach. From their best productions, the proudest pencil 
may learn the value of labour and patience ; may perceive 
the possibility of being accurate and detailed, without be- 
ing mean or minute — may acquire the grace of facility, 
without negligence or affectation, and the charm of spirit 
without the sacrifice of truth. 



CANTO FOURTH. 



ARGUMENT. 

The Student recommended to visit the Schools of Italy — 
facilities afforded to the study of Art in that country, and 
the admiration in which the productions of Taste are 
held there — caution to beware of the enervating pleasures 
which have there so often subdued the vigour of Genius? 
and relaxed the powers of industry — caution to beware 
of the fluctuation of Taste which results from the different 
objects pursued in different schools — influence of local 
prejudices upon Art — influence of precedent in matters 
of Taste — freedom of judgment recommended — fickleness 
of judgment condemned — exemplified in the character of 
Vibratio — the highest skill in the practical part of the 
Art insufficient., without the culture of the mind — no 

wreaths to be gained without knowledge and science 

ignorance and presumption repelled by every Muse — 
condemned by Taste to drudge in vulgar toils — the 
painter required to be skilled in representing all the 
varieties of action, passion, and character, in man — the 
study of history and poetry recommended — Homer, 
Virgil, Milton and Shakespear alluded to — allusion to a 
few of the old masters who were most conspicuous for 
their general knowledge—Leonardo da Vinci — Raphael 

— Michael Angelo — Julio Romano, and Rubens 

allusion to Sir Joshua Reynolds as a more modern illus- 
tration of the advantages of a highly cultivated mind in 
an artist — character of Reynolds, considered as the 
founder of the English School — influence of his genius 
upon the taste and reputation of his country, with an 
allusion to his loss of sight, and death. 



[223 ] 



CANTO IV. 



Sic est; acerba fata Romanos agunt. Horace. Epod. 7 , 



OHOULD Fate allow, then seek in foreign skies 
Those needful aids your native land denies ; 
Lo ! where Italia. spreads her boundless stores, 
And courts the Student to her classic shores. 



Line 1. Should Fate allow , then seek in foreign skies~\ — 
Although the pillage of Italy by the modern Mummius, must 
have deprived that country, of many of those attractions 
which rendered it interesting to the Connoisseur and 
the Artist, yet, the Author is not disposed to retract the 
advice which he has given in the text. The objects of Art 
in Rome, and other places, may be diminished by the de- 
predations of insatiate ambition, but while the walls of the 



224 ELEMENTS OF ART. 

Italia, long with Art's chief honours graced, 
Still holds the rich inheritance of Taste, 
Tho' quite extinct the race of Genius there, 
And not a branch the stems of glory bear ; 



Vatican remain undivested of their ornaments by time, or 
barbarism, the ancient seat of the Caesars must ever be 
the shrine of Virtu — the sanctified Mecca, to which, all the 
followers of Art will turn with devotion, and hope to make 
a pilgrimage before they die. 

Although the portentous comet of the day, has occasioned 
some derangement in the circles of Taste, as well as the 
systems of politics, and displaced both pictures and poten- 
tates in his pestilential course, yet, the greater stars of Art 
still remain undisturbed : Raphael and Michael Angelo, still 
shine in the Ausonian sky, eclipsing the collected lustre of 
the Louvre, and proclaiming the supremacy of Rome. 

That the principal productions of those great Artists 
have been allowed to remain in their present situation, 
must indeed, be wholly ascribed to the impracticability of 
removing them. If the Sistine Chapel could have been 
conveyed to Paris, by any means less miraculous, than those, 
which formerly transferred from Palestine, the chapel of our 
Lady of Loretto, there is reason to believe, that neither 
the prayers of Piety, nor the expostulations of Taste, would 
have had sufficient influence to retain it on the shores of 
the Tiber. 

As a School of Sculpture indeed, Rome must now be 



CANTO FOURTH. 225 

While, like her once proud temples, she appears 

The mould'ring monument of former years, 10 

Yet, tho' no more her ancient virtues shine, 

The grateful Arts still glow in her decline ; 

A friendly ray on Rome degenerate shed, 

When Power, and Wealth, and Freedom — all have fled. 

There, Painting's splendours court the curious eye, 15 

And temples hospitably open lie; 



content to yield the palm to Paris : the treasures which she 
retains, cannot be compared with those which she has lost : 
though rich and sparkling still are the jewels of her crown, 
the great brilliants are removed to the less majestic diadem 
of her rival. All the marbles of the ancients, from the best 
preserved and most colossal specimen of their skill, to the 
smallest and most mutilated fragment, cannot, in the eye of 
the Artist, compensate for the loss of the Apollo, the Venus, 
the Laocoon, the Hercules, the Antinous, the Meleager, 
the Torso, the Gladiator, and other celebrated works. In 
taste, there is no balancing the account between quantity 
and quality ; the largest mass of mediocrity can never ap- 
proach to the value of excellence. The painter, the archi- 
tect, and the antiquary, may still triumph on their approach 
to the capital of the ancient world ; but the Sculptor, who 
now passes the Louvre on his route to Rome, shews more 
of the curiosity than the sensibility of Taste, and may 
almost be said to leave his Art behind him. 

Q 



^26 ELEMENTS Otf ART. 

Where all whose liberal bosoms have embraced 

The Critic's creed — the heav'n-taught truth of Taste, 

To Virtu's shrine, unquestion'd may repair, 

And pour to Genius genuine homage there. 20 

There, gorgeous palaces with pride make known, 
Their fame in frescos, and their wealth in stone. 
Expiring Pontiffs, ere reduced to dust, 
Entail the picture, and bequeath the bust, 



Line 23. Expiring Pontiffs, ere reduced to c?wsf,] — Amongst 
the advantages to be expected from a visit to Italy, it is 
perhaps, not one of the least, that the painter may there 
learn to entertain a proper respect for his profession. He 
may there behold the dignity of his Art, not only, in the. 
wonders which it has produced, but in the honours that 
have been paid to it ; and find the Author participating in 
the esteem which has been excited by his works. 

The English Artist in particular, will there have an op- 
portunity to breathe, out of the commercial bustle that 
surrounds him — to escape the M Auri sacra fames," that 
rages at home : he will have leisure to consider his art as a 
means of life in fame, as well as life in luxury, and decide 
the question between glory and riches. 

In this '" nation boutiquiere," as we have been contemp- 
tuously called, if the Artist is proud of his profession, it is 
more from the honours which it inherits, than the homage 



CANTO FOURTH, 227 

While grateful heirs receive the gift elate, 25 

And prize the statue more than the estate. 
Yet there, around tho' graphic wonders rise, 
And classic stores at every step surprise ; 



which it receives ; more from the respect with which it in- 
spires him, than the estimation which it procures for him. 
There are no prejudices of refinement in his favour — no 
partialities of enlightened policy to give him consideration 
with the public, and rescue him, from the coarse insolence 
of wealth, and the contemptuous disregard of pride. His 
Art, though a diamond shining amongst the pebbles of or- 
dinary ingenuity, is not yet set in the esteem of his coun- 
trymen, or valued beyond its coarser companions. 

Whatever rank he may hold in the opinion of the few 
who can understand and appreciate his claims, with the 
many, the Artist is but a maker of pictures and statues — a 
manufacturer of figures and furniture; in no other respect 
distinguished from his brethren of the lathe and the loom, 
than as less employed, and worse rewarded ; as contribut- 
ing to the general stock of production, an article less useful 
in the exigence of society, and less available in the opera- 
tions of commerce. 

But where trade is every thing, every thing must neces- 
sarily be trade ; there is no exemption for Genius or 
Taste : they must take their stall in the market, and cry, 
iC who buys ?" like the rest of the fraternity, though few 
«steem, and fewer still understand their commodities, 

But where the work is depreciated, what hope of re- 



228 ELEMENTS OF ART. 

Tho' each spot, sacred to some deed of fame, 

Inspires the Bard, or spreads the patriot flame ; SO 

To souls refined, some kindred spark imparts, 

Excites to eloquence, or leads to arts; 

Yet there, be cautious, there, the clime beguiles, 

And syren pleasures spread seducing wiles; 

Too oft, the soften'd youth, subdued at length, 35 

As languor steals upon the nerve of strength, 



gard for the workman ? The intercourse of trade acknow- 
ledges no currency of commendation — no exchange of value 
in reverence — admits no items of praise or respect, to ba- 
lance the account of ability, or make up the deficiency of 
coarser equivalents. He who is accustomed to pay, and to 
be paid, neither makes nor admits any other demand ; 
money is the only reward he esteems or requires ; it is 
therefore, the only reward which he bestows ; and when he 
has paid the Artist his price, he conceives the account to 
be closed, and rejects all after claims of respect for his 
merit, as a species of imposition, and " not to be found in 
the bond." Thus it is, that in a commercial country, praise, 
honour, and respect, are put out of circulation, even amongst 
those, who value them above all other coin : thus it is, that 
money supersedes all other means of remuneration, and 
becomes the only measure of merit, without the power of 
rewarding it. 



CANTO FOURTH. 229 

Sinks, lost to fame, 'midst all Italia's stores, 

And lingers life's bright summer on her shores; 

Till paralized, the powers of Genius lie, 

And glory fades for ever from his eye. 40 

Oft too, tho' Labour husbands all his hours, 
And zeal, still ardent, spurs unslacken'd powers, 
Ambition's views mistaken studies spoil, 
And folly frustrates every hope of toil. 
Where'er the Student turns, at every stage, 45 

He finds some fashion of the pencil rage ; 
Some mould of taste that custom still decrees, 
In which e'en Genius must be cast to please ; 
Caught in the current as opinion flows, 
His judgment vainly struggles to oppose ; 50 

At length the idol of the day admires, 
And lost in local prejudice expires. 

In every School some favourite system sways, 
As local Taste to partial toil betrays ; 



Line 53. In every School some favourite system sways,~] — 
It is curious to observe, how much the principles of truth 
appear to depend upon the prejudices of place : our senti- 
ments result from our situation, and he who fancies him- 



230 



ELEMENTS OF ART, 



Their merit, like their money, they receive, 55 

And sterling, only by their stamp believe. 



self most free to expatiate in the boundless regions of 
knowledge, is shackled in associations, and fettered by 
fashions of the understanding, of whose operation he is un- 
conscious, and from which, he can rarely escape. We put 
to sea, as we fondly think, with all our sails set, to navi- 
gate the vast ocean of science ; but our faculties are land- 
locked : we still remain paddling in some creek of preju- 
dice, — still cruising in the accustomed tracks, and influenced 
by the usual currents. 

In every age and country, how has the stride of science 
been retarded by the two great fetters of time and place ! 
while Genius has struggled ineffectually, and reason remon- 
strated in vain. 

If the robust and vigorous powers of Science and Philo- 
sophy have not been able to extricate their interests en- 
tirely, from these trammels, it is not surprising, that the 
refined and delicate principles of Taste, should be almost 
wholly subjected to their influence : we find, therefore, 
that painting is peculiarly dependant on local circumstan- 
ces ; and although the model, Nature, is every where the 
same, yet the imitation differs, not only, according to talents 
and objects, but to countries and academies. Some parti- 
cular theory of Taste, some peculiar idea of perfection, 
operates in every establishment : some favourite fashion of 
Art prevails in every circle, to which 3 all must conform who 



CANTO FOURTH, 231 

Some powerful Genius leaves his age behind, 
And sets his mark on each succeeding mind; 



aspire to please, or hope to be received into good com- 
pany. 

Thus it is, that the same Artist would be a colourist at 
Venice, and a designer at Rome ; that he would become a 
painter of scripture in Italy, of drolls in Holland, of por- 
traits in England, and of operas in France. In one school, 
we find correct forms exhibited in all the confusion of 
lights, colours, and reflections ; in another, shapeless masses 
arranged with all the artifice of light and shade. Here, we 
have laborious detail pursuing minuteness to the pores of 
the flesh, and the threads of the drapery : there, you behold 
breadth, sweeping away all distinction of parts, and spirit, 
scarcely condescending to mark a muscle or a fold. 

Few are found with faculties sufficiently strong, to rise 
above the atmosphere of mind in which they live, and take 
those clearer, and more comprehensive views of Art, 
through which only, we can discover where its perfection 
lies, and by what road we can most successfully approach 
to if. 

The Students who travel to Italy for improvement, too 
often furnish an illustration of these remarks. 

A young man, who has acquired considerable skill in 
those parts of his art, which are in fashion at home, is sur- 
prised to see his stock of merits but little esteemed in a 
foreign Academy : he finds new ideas afloat there, — other 



232 ELEMENTS OF ART. 

Decides the source whence all perfection's sought, 
The track of study, and the train of thought. 60 



objects of ambition, and different measures of merit. He 
soon begins to suspect the value of his own acquirements, 
and remains for some time, perplexed in anxious vibration 
between the school which he has left, and that to which he 
has resorted. The influence of example however, and the 
sympathy of sentiment, are powerful agents in young minds ; 
he naturally desires the esteem of those who are around 
him, and he perceives, that to acquire it, he must pursue 
their track. He first imitates their practice, and then ap- 
proves of it — admits their principles, and then adopts them. 
Conformity, soon leads to conversion, and like all converts, 
he becomes violent against those whom he has forsaken. 
But the time that will suffice for subversion, is not suffi- 
cient for establishment ; he stays just long enough abroad, 
to forget what he has learned at home, and to despise the 
taste of his own country, without substituting a better in 
its place. He loses the peculiar merit of the English School, 
without acquiring that of the Italian, and returns at length, 
to exemplify in a state of mortified pride, and hopeless im- 
becility, the defects of both. 

We must not however, forget the use of travelling to a 
painter, in the consideration of its abuse ; or condemn the 
practice of visiting the Schools of Italy, as unnecessary, 
because it is often unavailing. 

He who has made little progress abroad, would probably, 



CANTO FOURTH. %33 



In law, not more despotic than in wit, 
To precedent the proudest minds submit. 



have made still less at home. Travelling cultivates our 
qualities, but does not create them : " coelum non animum 
mutant qui trans mare currunt," and if we take out copper, 
we must not expect, that any transalpine process of alchemy- 
will convert it to gold. 

We are too apt, to affect a contempt for advantages which 
we have not enjoyed, and to depreciate in others, what we 
should prize in ourselves. But, it should be remembered, 
that the most eminent painters of this country, in every 
department of Art, have thought it useful, to resort to 
those ancient springs of Taste ; and may be supposed, to 
have drawn from them, some portion of their excellence. 
Assuredly, before we can decry the practice with effect, 
we are bound to prove, that we have acquired equal skill 
at home. 

Genius must always derive some benefit from that expan- 
sion of the mind, which travel has a powerful tendency to 
produce — must find it useful, to break for a time, from the 
narrow circle of local associations, and make an excursion 
into new territories of Taste : his stores of imagination be- 
come enriched by the accession of new ideas ; his concep- 
tions of merit are elevated by the contemplation of its 
noblest examples ; he measures himself by a different 
standard from that which he has been accustomed to use, 
and forms a juster estimate of his stature, and his strength. 



234 ELEMENTS OF ART. 

Painters and Poets, free of Nature's reign, 
The charter boast, yet wear the willing chain : 
Taste hugs the yoke of Aristotle's laws, 65 

And Maro's steed in Homer's harness draws. 



His merits are no longer magnified through the medium of 
local partiality, nor his defects excused in the influence of 
general example : his Art stands divested of artificial props, 
and social prejudices, to be tried on principles different 
from those upon which he has been accustomed to regulate 
his taste. 

The painter who goes through such a process, must be 
the better for it. Contrariety begets comparison, and 
comparison invigorates judgment ; by seeing every thing 
that has been done, he learns better what to do ; and from 
the experience of other systems can relinquish or correct 
his own ; till at length, enlightened by theory, and accom- 
plished by practice, he returns to refine the Taste, reform 
the arts, and dignify the reputation of his country. 

Line 64. Taste hugs the yoke of Aristotle's tos,] — In the 
history of the human mind, there is perhaps, nothing more 
extraordinary, than that submissive humility with which 
all ages have bowed in matters of taste, to the influence of 
authority and the dictates of criticism* — that unhesitating 
homage, which mankind have continued to pay to the 
throne of antiquity, without questioning either the justice 
©f its establishment, or the utility of its sway. 

The principles of freedom seem to have made slower 



CANTO FOURTH. £35 

Then still with freedom judge — with prudence praise, 
Nor strain the eye in adulating gaze : 
Implicit faith no canons here require, 
Bigots alone from prejudice admire. 70 



progress in Taste, even than in politics ; and the "jus divi- 
num" of critics, outlasts that of kings. 

Political and poetical despotisms have always had their ad- 
vocates : Sir Robert Filmers have swarmed in defence of 
each, but no powerful champion — no eloquent Locke, has 
arisen in the regions of Parnassus, to expose the folly and 
servility of their principles ; to assert the natural freedom 
of the human faculties, and rescue the votaries of Taste, 
from the vassalage of Time. 

It is curious to reflect, that fewer advocates in the cause 
of intellectual liberty have appeared in the land of free- 
men, than in that, which we have been accustomed to con- 
sider the land of slaves. Proud of our political and religious 
emancipation, we contentedly submitted to the " stat pro 
ratione voluntas" of criticism, and while in France, the 
blind and undiscriminating adoration paid to the produc- 
tions of the ancients, was ably exposed by the powers of 
De la Motte, Fontenelle, Terrasson, St. Hyacinthe and 
others, the ranks of literature in this country, remained 
passive spectators of their exertions, and refused to furnish 
their contingent of spirit and ability in support of the 
common cause. 

Our scholars indeed, though sometimes Whigs in politics, 



236 ELEMENTS OF ART. 

Your judgment guide by no despotic rule, 
Nor bow to right divine in any school.; 
A British boldness e'en in Taste retain, 
The fire of freedom never glows in vain. 



have always been Tories in taste : they may be Round- 
heads occasionally, in religion, but they are proud to be 
Cavaliers in criticism. With the servility of courtiers, they 
encircle the ancient majesty of erudition, and whatever 
they may themselves think of the object of their homage, 
they never fail to magnify his perfections, and inculcate 
the duty of submission and veneration, on all those who 
cannot approach the throne to examine his pretensions. 

The tardy operation of reason and common sense, has 
however, of late, produced some amelioration in the mo- 
narchy of mind ; the severity of the established despotism, 
is somewhat relaxed ; and though we are still, far removed 
from that complete emancipation which the interests of 
Taste require, yet, there is some appearance, of our ap- 
proaching to the period, when the supremacy of the 
ancients may be questioned in literature, as well as in 
science ; when the moderns shall dare to think for them- 
selves in the former, as well as in the latter ; and derive the 
laws of composition and the measures of merit, from higher 
authority, than the practice of Homer, or the ipse dixit of 
Aristotle. 

But the prejudice which idolizes antiquity, and pays 
homage to Time, seems to be congenial to the nature of 



CANTO FOURTH, 



237 



Yet, while exclusive homage you disclaim, 75 

And scorn the servile sycophants of fame, 
Beware his weakness, who, to all untrue, 
By turns, will every style of art pursue ; 



man, and is strengthened by every impression of his edu- 
cation. 

Our first effort, is imitation, and our first lesson, obedi- 
ence. We are taught to look backward with confidence, 
and forward with fear. To distrust every thing that is 
novel, and depend upon every thing that is old. The yoke 
of authority is fastened upon us, when we are too weak to 
resist it, and when the season of strength arrives, we are so 
accustomed to its pressure, that we have no desire to shake 
it off. 

To know what others have known, is made our highest 
pride ; to do what others have done, our greatest ambi- 
tion. It would seem, as if the sole business of the present 
world, was to ascertain the progress of the past, while like 
rich heirs, we display all the wealth of our ancestors with- 
out attempting to add to the stock. We study only the 
studies of others, receive with submission the results of their 
enquiries, and are pleased to be spared the task of obser- 
vation, and the trouble of research. 

Thus it is, that the characteristics of originality are un- 
known to modern productions, that we become the u imi- 
tatores servum pecus," that we paint only what has been 
painted, and write only, what has been written before. We 



238 ELEMENTS OF ART, 

Whose tissue Taste, for ever changing, seems 
Twixt praise and censure, always in extremes ; 80 
Each day seduced, to some new favourite flies, 
Applauds the present, and the past decries ; 



may be said, to live upon the wit of our predecessors, and 
serve up their ideas at second heat. 

Yet the wisdom of mankind at large, grows and ripens like 
the wisdom of an individual ; as years and centuries roll 
away, new facts generate new conclusions, and the errors 
of one day are rectified by the succeeding, through the 
maturing process of time. It seems extraordinary there- 
fore, that in our general veneration for every thing that is 
old, we should pay so little regard to the age of experi- 
ence ; that we should so zealously prefer the early youth of 
human knowledge to its more vigorous manhood, and for- 
get that Time himself, grows wise as he grows old. 

But we are taught to discredit the present with all its' 
accumulating advantages ; we distrust our own impressions 
in compliment to those of our ancestors, and make a volun- 
tary surrender of our faculties to the influence of time and 
place. We cast our metal in the mould prepared for us, 
and take the shape of our age, our country, and our 
school. 

This quiet conformity, is perhaps, in religion and politics, 
the duty of a good citizen, for unsettled principles in either, 
are dangerous, and may tend to shake our loyalty as sub- 
jects, and our morality as men. Experience proves also, 



CANTO FOURTH. 259 

Still wrong by system, e'en when right by chance, 

This flimsy tribe can ne'er to fame advance, 

Their froth of sense subsides, as passion cools, 85 

To prejudice, — the principle of fools. 

In minds, and monarchies, by favourites sway'd, 

The state and intellect are both betray'd. 



that in these two great concerns of human society, it is a 
azardous and hopeless operation, to tamper with ancient 
prejudices and established systems. Yet, here it is, that 
we are ever restless and disobedient — always fermenting 
in perilous experiments of civil policy, or dissenting in 
pernicious fluctuations of religious faith ; but all is ortho- 
doxy and submission, where free-thinking might be indulged 
without the evils of infidelity, and liberty enjoyed without 
the danger of licentiousness. 

In Taste, in Literature, and the Arts, there is surely, no 
good reason why we should resign our charter, and preach 
up passive obedience ; in these tranquil pursuits, every 
man might reasonably be allowed to think for himself, 
without creating a sect or a faction, to disturb either the 
peace, or the devotion of society. These are tracts, in 
which we might hope to roam at large, without being 
hedged in by authority, or restricted to turnpike roads. 
Yet, we travel timorously through these delightful regions ; 
forbidden to deviate from the common track, however al- 
luring the prospect; and carefully hoodwinked by the 
critic at every stage. 



240 ELEMENTS OF ART. 

Vibratio shifts with every wind that blows, 
And loves and hates, as folly ebbs and flows : 90 

Theme of his tongue, now Raphael rules the hour, 
Deposed by Rembrandt, now resigns his power ; 
His turn of worship Titian takes, and sways, 
Till Rubens fires his raptures to a blaze. 
Dark as an heathen temple, his dull mind, 9-5 

Has ever some fond idol there enshrined, 
Each, for a day, with fickle faith adored, 
By fits and starts, rejected, and restored : 
Fix'd to no principle of time, or Taste, 
His skill mechanic, and his pains misplaced ; 100 

His leisure lost ; his labour too abused, 
And still by study, but the more confused ; 
He wanders, vagrant like, o'er graphic ground, 
And poaches every Painter's manor round ; 
For petty plunder spreads abortive toils, 105 

Nor thrives by theft, for what he steals he spoils. 

Yet think not more than half achieved your part, 
Tho ? skill'd in all the practical of Art ; 
Tho' firm and free, the well-plied pencil flows, 
And all the palette at your pleasure glows ; 110 

Tho' Greece and Italy their stores supply, 
To form the hand, and to refine the eye j 



CANTO FOURTH. 241 

While fired by all the wonders wrought of old, 
You pant for praise, and burn as you behold ; 
The nobler task remains, by Taste design'd, 115 

To crown your zeal — the culture of the mind. 



Line 116. To crown your zeal — the culture of the mind.'] 
— As painting may be considered to include all the higher 
intellectual parts of poetry, the mind of the painter, re- 
quires to be formed by the same process, and to be fur- 
nished with the same materials as that of the poet. The 
office of both is to represent the beauties, and express the 
passions of Nature; from her magazine they must draw 
their stores, and though they have different modes of dis- 
playing, they have but one way of acquiring them. 

Their respective arts, like different universities, receive 
them from the same school, and according to the solidity 
of their attainments in the one, will they obtain their de- 
grees with honour in the other. 

But while the present is the scene of their active obser- 
vation, the past, also, must be the object of their studious 
enquiry. They must not only see man as he is, in the 
existing generation, but examine what he has been, in 
the former generations of mankind. They must trace 
him through all his gradations, from barbarism, to refine- 
ment — from ignorance, to science ; from the dull calm of 
apathy, to the raging tempest of passion ; from the lowest 
state of humanity, bordering on the brute, to the proudest 
elevation of virtue, approaching to a god. 

This knowledge of man, under all his aspects, may be 
K 



£42 ELEMENTS OF ART. 

As scanty crops repay the peasant's toil, 
Till rich manures ameliorate the soil ; 
So, in the nicer husbandry of Art, 
Our labour's vain, the land is out of heart, 120 



called the staple commodity of the painter's art — the essen- 
tial article of his trade, without which, he can carry on no 
great operation that will not be attended with a waste of 
labour and a loss of reputation. 

The most dextrous management of the pencil, constitutes 
but a superior kind of mechanic, unless it is accompanied 
by those qualities and acquirements of the mind, which 
render it subservient to noble and useful purposes. All the 
eloquence of Art is lost in the possession of him, who has no 
ideas worthy of communication. It signifies little, that the 
streams run freely, if they proceed from an impure source, 
and carry down nothing but mud and stones. 

The painter must therefore, cultivate his understanding, 
while he exercises his hand ; he must have recourse to 
books, as well as to pictures ; and acquire the art of re- 
flection, as well as the art of imitation. 

In literature, every thing is a proper object of his study, 
that treats concerning nature, society, and man ; every 
thing, that can enrich the imagination by images, or in- 
spire the fancy by wit ; that can enlighten the mind by 
science, or refine it by taste ; that can store the head with 
the materials of wisdom, or stimulate the heart by the ex- 
amples of virtue. 

It must be confessed however, that the process of im- 



CANTO FOURTH. 243 

Till various knowledge gather'd round with care, 
Invigorate the vegetation there. 

The strongest mind tho' steady to one aim, 
Must aid from parts co-operative claim, 



proYement here recommended, some of those who call 
themselves painters do not think it necessary to perform ; 
they seem to consider it, as amongst the non-essentials of 
their course — a troublesome deviation from the straight 
forward road of the pencil ; of which, it neither facilitates 
the progress, nor atones for the delay. It is not surprising 
therefore, that they who study painting as a trade, should 
practise it like tradesmen ; that they who consider igno- 
rance no obstacle, should think meanness no vice ; and be 
willing to sacrifice to mercenary motives, the dignity of an 
Art, which suffers in their hands the double degradation 
of low minds, and low manners. 

That this vulgar, mechanical spirit however, cannot be 
said to characterise the Artists of the present day, there are 
many conspicuous examples to prove ; and so little can it be 
ascribed to the Artists of former times, that it may be 
doubted, if in any other department of human ingenuity, 
such examples of general accomplishment, and various 
knowledge, can be produced, as have appeared to dignify 
and give lustre to the character of a painter. 

The ancient masters were proud of their profession, and 



244 ELEMENTS OF ART. 

Bee-like, sip honey from surrounding flowers, 10,5 

And owe its greatness to confederate powers. 

Thus slowly first, soft-trickling from its source, 
The infant flood obscurely takes its course ; 
Now gently spreading, drains the neighbouring ground, 
And drinks up each fresh rising rill around ; 130 



practised it as a noble occupation, which yielded to no 
other in the talents which it required, or the powers which 
it displayed. 

They found their Art esteemed amongst the most civilized 
states, as the pride of cultivation. Drawn out by en- 
lightened policy from the ranks of ordinary life, as the 
leaders of public Taste and refinement, they sought with 
zeal those qualifications, which were necessary to fit them 
for so honourable a destination ; they came to it therefore, 
with minds furnished from the stores of general knowledge, 
and elevated above the little motives of mercenary employ- 
ment, by a just sense of those functions, which only Genius 
can ably perform, and only glory can adequately reward. 
Without any interruption of their proper pursuits, they at 
their leisure, plucked a wreath from the Poet, the Musician, 
the Sculptor, the Architect, the Scholar, and the Statesman, 
and often, as a relaxation from the toils of the pencil, rivalled 
those characters in their most laborious exertions. 



CANTO FOURTH. 245 

Enlarging farther, view the vigorous tide 
Impetuous rush, or smoothly graceful glide ; 
Collect from tributary streams their stores, 
Roll its rich wave, and wind its shelving shores; 
Till deepening, swelling, foaming, full and strong 135 
The bold, resistless torrent sweeps along. 

No more let Ignorance presumptuous claim 
The prize of glory in the painter's name, 
By manual toil alone, in every part, 
Degrading Nature, and abusing Art : 140 

Till Science beaming o'er the soul dispense 
Her purest ray, and ripen every sense, 
Till each high faculty of thought expand, 
And the stored head direct the practised hand, 
In vain the plodding, cold mechanic tries, 145 

To gain, by drudging diligence, the skies, 
The mind's a callow bird, for flgln unfit, 
Till learning's feathers plume the wing of Wit. 



Line 148. Till learning 1 s feathers plume the wing of Wit. ~] 
— By the word learning in this place, the Author means 
knowledge generally ; for however graceful as an accom- 
plishment, and gratifying as a source of literary delight, an 
acquaintance with the dead languages may be, it cannot be 



246 "elements of art. 

Each Muse with scorn from Ignorance recedes, 
And spurns the suit when 'tis Presumption pleads. 150 
Taste too, dishonour^, damns th* ignoble race 
To vulgar toils, unvisited by Grace; 



considered absolutely necessary, or even materially useful 
to the painter. As far as the classics may conduce to the 
acquirement of good taste in literature, and the general im- 
provement of the mental powers, the Artist, might certainly, 
cultivate them with advantage ; but as he has a language 
to learn, which bears no analogy to speech, and is much 
too difficult of attainment, to allow of leisure for unneces- 
sary studies, he will find, when he has seriously set forward 
on the journey of Art, that an excursion to the lofty tracts 
of Greek and Latin, may turn out a very inconvenient di- 
gression from his professional path. His knowledge of 
those territories, will not enable him to find his way 
through the still more arduous difficulties of his proper 
course ; and will perhaps, have cost him no small portion of 
that time, which might have made him acquainted with the 
road. 

Chesterfield says, " classical knowledge, that is Greek 
and Latin, is absolutely necessary for every body ; because 
every body has agreed to think and to call it so." Although 
this sarcastic proof of its necessity, may lead us to doubt 
Chesterfield's conviction of its use ; yet, he says quite 
enough to shew, that he who is ignorant of Greek and 



CANTO FOURTH. 247 

Bids them, content with reprobate renown, 

Still palm th' imposing copy on the town. 

Half painter, now half picture-dealer, claim 155 

From sage collectors an amphibious fame ; 

By still-life labours, low bred raptures raise, 

And in deception's wonders, plunge for praise. 

Bids them, while wit and worth neglected lie, 

Their want of talent by intrigue supply ; 160 



Latin, will be thought deficient in one of the essential con- 
stituents of a liberal education. 

If therefore, a proper foundation of classical instruction 
has been laid at school, it may not be inexpedient for the 
young painter, to cultivate an accomplishment to which so 
much importance is attached by the respectable classes of 
society. 

He must take care however, in the pursuit of the feather, 
not to endanger the cap. A passage of Homer, or Horace, 
Will be no passport to his pencil in the province of Virtu ; 
nor will his learning be received as an excuse, if he has 
neglected to acquire those powers in his art, without which, 
it will be impossible for him properly to express his con- 
ceptions, however exalted by genius, or refined by erudi- 
tion. 

Line 154. Still palm th' imposing copy on the town.~\ — 
Walpole states, that Sanderson, in his Graphice, speaks of 
Lanire, a painter in the reign of Charles the First, " as 



248 ELEMENTS OF ART. 

Still crouch to wealth and pride, wherever placed, 

And creep like ivy round the trunk of Taste. 

Or priests at shrines, where affectation rules, 

The rites of Taste administer to fools; 

And wriggling into Fashion's favour, play 165 

At once the Puff, and Dangle of the day. 

Although by Nature's liberal bounty bless'd, 
The fire of Genius glows within the breast, 
Collateral studies still must feed the flame, 
That clearly burning brightens into fame. 170 

Not the mere copyist of external things, 
The painter touches passion's finest springs; 
Pursues expression thro' the maze of mind, 
And sounds the deepest hearts of human kind. 
His task demands, to look thro' Nature's plan, 175 
And mark each change of the chamelion man ; 



being the first who passed off copies for originals, by tem- 
pering his colours with soot, and rolling them up till they 
cracked and contracted an air of antiquity." 

This ingenious practice, is probably not unknown to the 
dexterity of the present day ; but if the painter must bear 
the disgrace of its invention, the picture-dealer may boast 
the profit of its use. 



CANTO FOURTH. 240, 

To catch the hue of every clime and age, 

The several shades of hero, saint, and sage ; 

Each minor tinge of local manners trace, 

And in his Art reflect our fleeting race. 180 

Then, would you Painting's nobler course pursue, 
And prosperous take the voyage of Virtu, 
With knowledge store the mind ere you depart, 
To cruise in those high latitudes of Art; 
Where unprovided, Genius still must fail, 185 

Tho' gaily trimm'd, and crowding every sail. 

But if, perchance, the classic page denied, 
You boast no wealth from that rich source supplied, 
Yet busied in the toils of Art decline, 
To sink your shaft so late, in learning's mine ; lgo 
Lo ! each bright sage — each brilliant wit of old, 
By Genius' hand reset in British gold, 
O'er minds unleam'd, emits the living flame, 
The fashion alter'd, but the gem the same. 

Big with the moral of each maddening age, 195 
War's ruffian power, and revolution's rage, 
Grave History presents her ample stores, 
And man's fell passions while she paints, deplores. 



250 ELEMENTS OF ART* 

But chief, where'er th' immortal Muse invites, 

Wait on her wing, and follow in her flights ; 200 

Whether aloft, the bright Maeonian star, 

Or Maro's milder lustre from afar, 

Sun of our sytem ! Milton's orb on high ! 

Or Avon's comet flaming thro' the sky ! 

Attract her pinion, faithful still pursue, 205 

Till each high heaven 's unfolded to your view, 

Descending, as the dazzled sense requires, 

To lower regions, and to lesser fires. 

Da Vinci thus, the light of science sought, 
And Art reviving, kindled as he wrought; 210 



Line 209. Da Vinci thus, the light of science sought,~) 
—Leonardo da Vinci furnishes a striking example of that 
comprehensive genius and general accomplishment, which, 
in a former note, have been mentioned, as no uncommon 
characteristics of those who have been distinguished as 
eminent painters. 

In his own Art, his attainments were extraordinary for 
his time, and such as place him in the first rank of emi- 
nence ; he was also profoundly skilled in sculpture, and 
architecture ; was a poet and a musician, a mathematician, 
a chemist, and an anatomist. 

Raphael was esteemed one of the most accomplished 



CANTO FOURTH. 251 



Thus Buonaroti rear'd his lofty name, 
And great TJrbino brighten'd into fame; 
Rubens array'd in learning's lustre shone, 
And triumph 'd on his allegoric throne. 



characters of his day. He was employed and distinguished 
as an Architect, and there exists a work of his in sculpture, 
which succeeded in competition with a regular professor 
of that art. 

The excellence of Michael Angelo, in the three arts of 
painting, sculpture, and architecture, has been the theme of 
admiration in every succeeding period : he was also con- 
spicuous for great general knowledge, a poet, a musician, 
and an anatomist. 

Rubens seems to have been the best illustration of John- 
son's definition of Genius : u a mind of great general powers 
capable of attaining to excellence in any path to which it 
might be accidently directed." His acquirements were so 
extensive as to be almost incredible ; in addition to his extra- 
ordinary knowledge of painting, in all its departments, and 
his skill as an architect, he is reported, to have been uni- 
versally learned ; to have spoken fluently seven languages 
— to have been an historian, a statesman, a musician, and a 
fine gentleman. 

The annals of his time prove, that he was employed in 
negotiations of great importance ; and we know, that he 
was sent as ambassador from the Infanta Isabella, and 



252 ELEMENTS OF ART. 

Thus, graced with all that liberal studies yield, 215 

To form the powers of Genius for the field ; 

Accomplish'd Reynolds claims the Muse's praise, 

And shines, in illustration of her lays ; 

O ! proudly gifted 'mongst the graphic train, 

With equal skill to practise and explain ; 220 



Philip the Fourth of Spain, to our unfortunate monarch 
Charles the First. 

In enumerating the accomplishments of those who have 
been its ornaments, the painter has indeed cause to be 
proud of his profession : but if the powers of these great 
men are his pride, they are also his reproach, when in the 
mortifying comparison of his inferiority, he reflects, how 
unworthy he is of bearing a name which, their extraordi- 
nary achievements have rendered illustrious. 

Line 221. With equal skill to practise and explain;'] — 
Reynolds was one of the few artists in whose hand the pen- 
cil and the pen may be said, to have moved with equal 
grace. His Discourses are not less ornamental to the lite- 
rature, than they are useful to the taste of his country ; 
and the writer may improve his style, as well as the pain- 
ter his art, from their perusal. 

As a body of precepts, illustrating and enforcing the 
general principles of painting, the Author, though he has 
presumed to dissent, in a few instances, from the opinions 
which they contain, conceives, that they are rational, sci- 
entific, and instructive ; neither expatiating ostentatiously 



CANTO FOURTH. 253 

With all the traits of Truth and Taste to charm, 
Pure from the pen, as from the pencil warm ; 
To grasp once more the wreaths of ancient days, 
And to the Painter's add the Scholar's praise ! 

Tho' cast by fate upon a cheerless age, 225 

When sordid cares the self-swollen world engage; 



in theoretical rennements, nor contracted within the narrow 
limits of practical explanation. 

Reynolds had seen much, and studied more than almost 
any artist of his time : he therefore, came amply provided to 
his subject — furnished with all that books or pictures could 
supply — learned in the theory, and mature in the practice of 
hisArt. The occasion which called him forth, as a didactic 
writer, did not require that studied arrangement and syste- 
matic succession of parts, which should be observed in a regu- 
lar series of lectures : his Discourses consequently, do not ap- 
pear to have been composed upon any pre-conceived plan : 
he in each, took up the topic of Art which most impressed his 
mind at the moment, or appeared to be most applicable to 
the circumstances in which it was to be delivered ; and de- 
voted himself rather to enlighten the taste of the Student, 
than to facilitate his practice. 

His observations are evidently the result of reflection oper- 
ating on experience ; they arise naturally in their places, 
and if not always new, are always applicable and ingenious. 



254 ELEMENTS OF ART. 

When each sad Muse, unshelter'd, and unfed, 

In drudging toils degenerates for bread ; 

Yet fired with zeal to sieze th' historic prize, 

He spread a plume that bore him to the skies ; 230 



Though he shews that he can fathom his subject, he never 
labours to be deep — never struggles in the profound of phi- 
losophical disquisition, or throws up a simple thought with 
an air of sagacity. He is carried on by the natural flow 
of his matter, and rises or falls without effort or weakness. 

Didatic writers in general, are more desirous to shew 
themselves than their subject, and labour rather to display 
the powers of their eloquence, than the principles of their art. 
The author, almost always supercedes the teacher, and where 
they can amuse by their wit, they are seldom solicitous to 
instruct by their science. Every thing therefore is pompous 
and exaggerated ; raised to the altitudes of affected enthu- 
siasm, or refined in the siftings of subtle discrimination. 

Like him who had been talking prose all his life without 
knowing it, the Student is surprised to find that which has 
been so simple in the practice so pompously explained : he 
hardly recognises the plainest principles of his art in the 
ostentatious garb of eloquent amplification, and would be 
induced to give up in despair, the pursuit of such wonder- 
ful accomplishments, if he did not reflect, that something 
of that which was so formidably described he had already 
performed. 

Reynolds has steered clear of this rock : he never swells 



CANTO FOURTH. %55 

Art's failing hopes in fearless flight renew'd, 
While bigot Prejudice with wonder view'd. 

To portrait giving action, ease and air, 
He put the soul in full possession there : 



in affected enthusiasm — never strains after far-fetched illus- 
trations, or substitutes the husk of expression for the ker. 
nal of thought. The flowers which he strews are the 
growth of the soil, and denote its qualities while they 
adorn it. He displays no exaggerated difficulties to deter 
— no fantastical refinements to perplex : the merits which 
he describes, are not set beyond the reach of the human 
faculties, for he knows how to raise our admiration with- 
out depressing our hopes. He indeed, rather errs on the 
other side, and may perhaps, be considered as encouraging 
imbecility to persist in fruitless toil, by discrediting the in- 
fluence of Genius and asserting the omnipotence of industry. 
That there should exist a disposition to deprive Reynolds 
of the fame which must attach to the Author of those ex- 
cellent Discourses, is perhaps, not extraordinary, when we 
consider the malevolence, which never fails to persecute 
great talents. Envy has no objection to rob, when she 
cannot revile her object; and the debt which justice can- 
not deny, the ungenerous may refuse to pay, as long as 
they can excite a doubt of the claimant, or perplex the 
cause : but that persons professing an acquaintance with 
literature and Art, should allow themselves to co-operate 



%56 ELEMENTS OF ART. 

For tho' fantastic Fashion, in his day, %35 

O'er outraged Nature held unseemly sway, 
Disfiguring Beauty, and distorting Grace, 
Till man out-ridiculed the monkey race; 



with such agents, is indeed surprising, and must beget a 
reasonable conviction of their ignorance in both. 

The designs of folly and malevolence are however justly 
defeated, and their efforts only tend to aggrandize him 
whom they would depreciate. The suspicions which cannot 
shake the authenticity of his work, contribute to establish 
its reputation, and the writings of Reynolds are elevated to 
the highest rank of English literature, by being ascribed to 
the pen of Johnson or Burke. 

But of the few wreaths which were not within the gigan- 
tic grasp of those great men, that, which decorates the 
brow of Reynolds, may perhaps, be considered the least at- 
tainable. Johnson was equally ignorant and insensible of 
the beauties of painting, and Burke was in Taste, the humble 
disciple of him, with whose honours he has been so absurdly 
invested. That they could have supplied the materials of 
those Discourses, few are so preposterous as to assert ; the 
plan and arrangement of the structure in which they are 
employed, must be considered equally out of the sphere of 
their competence ; for the skill which adjusts parts to 
parts, which determines their position, and illustrates their 
use ; which selects, and combines — divides and discrimi- 
nates through all the complicated relations of an Art so 



CANTO FOURTH. Q57 

Beneath his eye abash'd, the monster sought 
To soften each gross feature as he wrought, 240 

While thro' each awkward transformation traced, 
He bound the Proteus in the spells of Taste. 



comprehensive as painting ; can be found only in him, who 
is master of his subject both in theory and practice. 

In the exterior decoration of the building only, could 
these great artificers have been employed; and it would be 
difficult for those who are best acquainted with their work, 
to point out a trace of their tool, or an ornament executed 
in their taste. Where shall we find in the easy unstudied 
flow of Reynolds, the solemn dignity of Johnson, or the 
splendid exuberance of Burke? — the pointed, compressed, 
and sonorous periods of the one, or the rich ample animated 
paragraphs of the other ? 

The pace of Johnson is a gigantic stride easily discovered 
amongst the steps of ordinary men. The rapid motion, 
.and irregular vehemence of Burke, can as little be con- 
cealed amid the calmer movements of spirits less powerful 
and impetuous. The subject of Reynolds, could have de- 
rived no light from the genius of those great characters, 
and his style would have been crushed beneath the ponderous 
magnificence of the one, or overwhelmed by the rhetorical 
torrent of the other. 

To those who were acquainted with Reynolds, the in- 
ternal evidence of his Discourses will always be a sufficient 

s , 



258 ELEMENTS OF ART. 

Pride of his time ! in painting's low decay, 

His Genius rising still prolong'd the day, 

Beam'd o'er the darken'd scene of Art, and shed 245 

A needful glory round Britannia's head : 

For long enshrouded in the night of Taste, 

Remote and rude, a mere commercial waste, 



proof of their authenticity : they bear the most unequivocal 
marks of their Author : they are characteristic of his mind, 
his manners, and his conversation. Easy, equable, and un- 
affected : decisive as becomes the preceptor, but not dictato- 
rial as a pedagogue. Distinguished by persuasive simplicity, 
rather than impressive strength ; often elegant, occasionally 
adorned, and generally judicious. 

That he availed himself of the friendship, and solicited 
the criticism of the two great characters above mentioned, 
may be readily believed ; for who would not have been 
proud to have his thoughts revised by their Taste, or en- 
riched by their erudition ? Such corrections as to style, as 
he might have honourably received ; such, as under similar 
circumstances, any other writer would have been pleased to 
obtain, and their more practised habits of the pen could 
have afforded, were assuredly not slighted by his good sense, 
nor withheld by their liberality. They have probably in 
some instances sharpened a point, polished a period, or 
suggested an illustration. Johnson and Burke may have 
occasionally placed a spangle, but the rich brocade has 
evidently been wrought in the loom of Reynolds. 



CANTO FOURTH. 259 

She lay obscure, in Europe's scornful eye, 
Convicted of a cold and cloudy sky ; 250 

Till Reynolds poured his lustre, and display'd 
Her cliffs refulgent rising from the shade. 

Tho' long the sceptre of his Art he held, 
And justly sway'd where he so much excell'd, 
No vain pretender of his time was known 255 

To doubt his title, or dispute his throne ; 
So bright his merits in their eyes appear'd, 
E'en they who best could rival, most revered. 
The school he form'd, their founder's taste sustain, 
And triumph in the trophies of his reign ; 260 

Like feudal lords, our minor rights we claim, 
But join in homage to his higher fame ; 
Confess our vassalage of Art, and prove 
The sov'reign's glory, in the subjects' love. 
In him ambition's purest passion glow'd, 0,65 

And sought no wreaths but those good sense bestow'd ; 
He scorn'd the poor, stale artifice that lays 
The trap of eccentricity for praise; 
The quack's credentials still where dulness rules ! 
The coxcomb's bait to catch the fry of fools ! 270 
With candour fraught, yet free without offence, 
The mildest manners, and the strongest sense; 



%60 ELEMENTS OF ART. 

The best example, and the brightest rule, 

His life a lesson, and his art a school, 

Behold him run his radiant course, and claim 275 

Thro' half an age an undisputed fame ! 

Still to the last, maintain his proudest height, 

Nor drop one feather in so bold a flight. 

But Fate at length, with darker aspect frown'd, 

And sent a shaft that brought him to the ground ; 280 

Struck at the joy congenial to his heart, 

And shut him out the paradise of Art:* 

Obscured at length the sky so long serene, 

And cast in shades of night his closing scene. 

In Leo thus, when Sol refulgent reigns, 285 

And Summer fervours scorch the panting plains ; 
Nor mists appear, nor exhalations rise, 
To dull the dazzling radiance of the skies, 
Till downward verging in his course divine, 
A milder lustre marks the day's decline, 290 

Ascending slow, an earthy vapour shrouds 
His parting splendours, and he sets in clouds. 



* Alluding to the loss of sight which Sir Joshua Reynolds 
experienced a short time before his death, and which was 
supposed to have hastened that event, by excluding him 
from the gratification which he always appeared to derive 
from the practice of his profession. 



CANTO FIFTH, 



ARGUxY.ENT. 

Allusion to the object proposed in the preceding parts of 
the work — reference to the Discourses of Reynolds, and 
the Lectures of Fuzeli and Opie, as occupied with the 
higher department of precept — continuation of the poem 
for the purpose of pointing out some of those defects in 
painting, which operate to countenance the critic in his 
contempt for modern art — first, Manner, with the dis- 
advantages that result from it — folly of those who affect 
to disregard the merits of imitation illustrated in the cha- 
racter of Aristo — the mechanics of the pencil who pride 
themselves on dexterity of hand — the triflers in Taste 
exemplified in the character of Curioso — affectation of 
travelled Artists, satirised in the character of Balbuto — 
the process hunter of the palette in that of Parthennius 
— the Student cautioned to 'beware of those who lose 
their time and talent in pursuit of nostrums and secrets 
—instructed to hope for eminence in art only through 
the operation of regular study, industry, and good sense 
— warned to avoid the glittering gaudy style which is too 
often resorted to for the purposes of exhibition allure- 
ment — defects arising from a theatrical taste in Art — 
error of those who place so much stress on the merits of 
facility pointed out in the character of Presto — the Stu- 
dent cautioned to avoid the folly of those who affect a 
premature spirit of execution, who think diligence 
dullness, and mistake extravagance for genius — defects 
resulting from the opposite extreme of practice — the mi- 
nutiae mongers who imitate the laboured littleness of Dow 
and Denner — advantages which result from patient in- 
dustry, and occasionally, from the suggestions of happy 
accident — faults which arise even from the merits of Art 
when carried to excess, traced in the various qualities of 
design, colouring, chiaro 'scuro, and execution. 



[ 263 ] 



CANTO V. 



Admonere voluimus, non mordere : prodesse, non laedere. 

Erasmus, 



1 H US far, the Muse advent/rous, to display 
The Student's course, has dared a lengthen'd lay, 
Content, in humbler tracks of toil to lead 
The tyro's step, and stimulate his speed ; 
To abler pens — to higher powers of Art, 5 

She leaves the lofty precept to impart, 
Which erst, in Reynolds' glowing periods graced, 
Diffused new light thro' all the realms of taste ; 
Which Fuzeli, with classic force impress'd, 
To fire the Poet in the Painter's breast; 10 

And late from Opie, roused the public ear, 
Till death arresting check'd his proud career 



264 ELEMENTS OF ART. 

Yet zealous still, she would the strain prolong, 
To mark some errors ere she close her song, 
Some bolder faults, that critic foes inflame, 15 

And prompt them, willing to withhold our fame; 



Line 1 1. Which late from Opic roused the public car,~\ — 
By the death of Opic, the British School of Art has suffered 
a loss, which will not perhaps, be readily supplied. In 
whatever light we consider him, whether as a man, an 
Artist, or an Academician ; as a painter, a writer, or a 
rcasoner, there was a character of originality — a peculiar 
strength about him, which always excited, and often re- 
warded attention. 

Bursting at once from provincial seclusion into all the 
glare of metropolitan publicity, he may be said to have 
commenced his career under unfavourable circumstances ; 
for he was looked upon as a wonder — was followed for a 
time, by fashion and affectation, with premature celebrity, 
and left, at the moment when he began to be worthy of the 
public favour, to meditate upon its instability. 

Prodigies arc always over-rated, and often ruined, by 
their injudicious admirers : but Opic had too much sense 
to be spoiled by flattery, and too much spirit to be de- 
pressed by neglect : he converted his leisure to his im- 
provement ; his genius rose when it was rescued from the 
crowd ; and though he ceased to be considered as a pheno- 
menon, by flatterers and fools, he forced his way to a more 
rational and durable reputation, by vigorous efforts in the 



CANTO FIFTH. Q6.5 

Which lure from truth, lay proudest talents waste, 
And taint the purity of public Taste. 

As moralists more epidemic deem 
The vices which the most like virtues seem, 20 



higher province of his art ; and the sober estimate of 
Taste placed him in the first rank of his profession. 

Emerging from an humble sphere by his own strength, 
and uninfluenced by those predisposing impressions, which 
generally result from the regular discipline of the faculties 
according to the forms of systematic instruction, his mind 
was stamped with a character of intrepid curiosity, of un- 
yielding independence, from which, perhaps, his most 
conspicuous merits were derived. 

Self-taught in every thing, he took his own road to what 
he acquired, and if it was not always the shortest and the 
best, it occasionally offered to him views of his olject, 
which rarely present themselves to those who travel in the 
beaten path. His art was more the result of his own ob- 
servation — more independent of his predecessors, than that 
of any other Artist of his time. What he possessed, he ap- 
peared to draw directly from Nature, seldom admitting the 
intermediate agency of her established favourites, and trust- 
ing boldly to the influence of his own powers. In direct 
intercourse with her, he was always respectable and often 
excellent ; but he seemed neither inclined, nor qualified, to 



^66 ELEMENTS OF ART. 

So, those defects in Art, more fatal sway, 
That, wear the mask of merit to betray : 



avail himself of the labours of those, from whom he might 
have learned to unite the taste of selection to the power of 
imitation. 

In some parts of his Art, he rose to great eminence : in 
the powerful relief of his object he may be said to vie with 
Rembrandt, Carravaggio, and Velasquez. Sometimes per- 
haps, this praise was obtained at the expense of merits 
more estimable ; but in characters of age, and strong ex- 
pression, where vigour of effect is peculiarly appropriate, 
he carried it to a degree of projection, which, if it has been 
equalled, has certainly, never been surpassed. 

In that particular quality of colouring called tone, he 
was also, at one period of his practice, conspicuously 
skilled ; the death of James the Sixth of Scotland, and 
some of his pictures painted for the Shakespeare Gallery, 
displayed a depth, and richness of hue, which are not al- 
ways to be found in his subsequent works. The desire of 
freshness and purity of tint, much influenced his pencil in 
the latter period of his life, and sometimes, occasioned a 
crude and chalky effect of colouring, which impaired the 
general impression of his merits. 

His manner was broad, bold, and original ; pursuing truth 
without prejudice, but generally without choice ; faithful, 
but not minute in imitation ; always forcible in effect, but 
often feeble in design. 

As a man, he was respectable, and respected : rather 



CANTO FIFTH. £67 

Which make a shew of skill, to slrike secure, 
Specious and false — imposing and impure. 



unprepossessing in his appearance, but highly interesting in 
his mind. Of a free and independent spirit ; easy though not 
polished in his deportment : advancing his claims without 
arrogance, and recommending them without servility. 
With a dignified disdain of artifice, he refused to trick him- 
self out in the airs of eccentricity ; or to prop up his repu- 
tation, by the common resources of the coxcomb and the 
quack. No man ever had less of the actor in his manners, 
or the impostor in his Art. 

He contended with his rivals in open, honourable, war- 
fare — sought no unfair, advantage — planned no manoeuvres 
of policy or surprise upon his competitors ; employed no 
stage trick to catch the public attention, and make himself 
the principal figure in the scene. The notice, which his 
pencil could not command, he scorned to procure by any 
other means ; and no Artist of his time, can boast a repu- 
tation more legitimately established, or less indebted to 
policy, to party, or intrigue. 

A short time before his death, he was appointed to the 
Professor's chair of painting, in the Royal Academy; and if 
he had lived, to digest and complete his course of Lectures in 
that establishment, his profession would have derived in- 
struction and delight from his unhesitating boldness of 
investigation — his originality of remark, and ingenuity of 
argument. He was one of the few characters which are to 



268 ELEMENTS OF ART. 

Chief, then of manner, as a pest, beware, £5 

The thoughtless Student's most delusive snare ; 
A subtle vice, that saps by slow degrees, 
The pencil's frenzy, and the art's disease ; 



be met with in society, who see with their own eyes, and 
hear with their own ears. Untutored in the awe of authority, 
a name had no influence upon him when opposed to an argu- 
ment. He was no venerator of time, nor respecter of pre- 
judice : he was an original thinker, whose mind rushed 
fearlessly forward in search of truth, wherever it seemed 
likely to be found ; and if the peculiarity of his opinions, 
sometimes excited surprise and provoked opposition, the 
ingenuity with which they were maintained, seldom failed, 
to shew great vigour of thought, and singular acuteness of 
observation. 

Those who lived in habits of intimacy with Opie, will 
cherish his memory with kindness; they will lookback 
with pleasure, to those hours, that were cheared by his 
pleasantry, or enlightened by his information. As a com- 
panion he was recommended by good spirits, good sense, 
and good temper ; and if his conversation was not always 
brilliant, or instructive, it was almost always stimulating and 
agreeable : rarely trite, even when most trifling ; never de- 
graded to common-place insipidity, nor malignant even 
when most severe. When he became familiar and found 
himself at his ease, his humour frequently kindled into wit \ 



CANTO FIFTH. 269 

Of quick contagion, as of tardy cure, 

Nor time can sanction it, nor taste endure. SO 

With powers perverted, vulgar, vain, and cold, 
The self-admiring mannerist behold ! 



and though he was as fond of disputation, as he was forci- 
ble in argument, he seemed always, as willing to sport with 
the playful, as to speculate with the profound. 

He was a rough gem of genius, which when rubbed in 
the collision of life, always brightened into lustre, and be. 
trayed its internal richness through the disadvantage of 
partial incrustation. 

Line 25. Chief, then of manner, as a pest, beware^] — 
Manner, in painting, is more easily discovered than de 
fined ; considered as relating only to execution, it is a 
peculiarity of handling produced by a premature facility 
of pencil and a false conception of merit, which commu- 
nicates to every object, an insipid sameness of character, as 
inconsistent with truth, as variety. It is the genuine stamp 
of meretricious feeling : the established brand of bad taste. 
It is the triumph of the mechanic over the artist : the 
darling vice of vulgar ability ; to which are sacrificed, the 
hopes of industry and the health of Art. 

The influence of Manner however, is not confined to 
mere execution ; it affects the mind, as well as the hand 
of the Artist, and there is no quality of painting which 
may not be depraved by its means. Thus, Michael Angelo 



270 ELEMENTS OF ART. 

In all the pride of penciling, impart 

His want of nature, and bis waste of art: 

The scribe's poor merit still his best pretence, 35 

He triumphs in the flourish, not the sense: 



may be said to be, in some measure, a mannerist in form, 
and Rubens in character ; Guercino in colouring, and 
Guido in grace. Many other examples will occur to those 
who are much conversant in the works of the old masters. 
There is perhaps no Artist who in every part of his Art is quite 
free from manner, for it is almost impossible, in a pursuit 
which unites the whole force of the human faculties, intel- 
lectual and mechanical, to avoid recurring occasionally, to 
the same path of practice, or the same train of thought. Of 
the vices which result from it, we may therefore say that 
Ci optimus ille est qui minimis urgetur." 

Neither are the evils of manner peculiar to the arts of 
design ; music, poetry, and prose, are often found to fur- 
nish examples of their influence, and the ancients, as well 
as the moderns, may be cited in illustration. The style of 
Seneca has been observed to be infected by manner, and 
perhaps the periods of Cicero are not quite free from 
taint. It occasionally stiffens the poetical pace of Milton, 
and sometimes vibrates in the versification of Pope. Of 
the poets, who have been distinguished for the greatest 
command of their tools, Dryden had certainly the least, 
and Darwin, may perhaps, be said to have the most of it : 
it is never seen in Addison, nor suspected in Hume : it 



CANTO FIFTH. 2?1 

Thro' all his works one fav'rite system sways, 

One touch attends him, and one tone betrays. 

His soul no emulative ardour fires, 

No lofty sense of excellence inspires ; 40 



is almost admired, in the polished splendours of Gibbon ; 
and almost illustrious, in the measured majesty of Johnson. 

In music, if the Author did not fear to outrage the en- 
thusiastic devotion of the day, he would be tempted to 
hint that Handel was a mannerist : if he might presume 
to give an opinion, he would say, that, compared to the 
Italian School, Handel was in music, what Holbein was in 
painting ; a genius of great original powers, conspicuous 
in his time, and qualified to seize on the stronger features 
of expression ; but somewhat hard and dry, in the applica- 
tion of his Art; without any extraordinary delicacy of 
Taste, or variety of science. But the " Giant Handel" has 
long been the god of our idolatry in this country, and he 
who ventures to doubt his divinity, will not much recom- 
mend his discretion : the works of some eminent modern 
composers, have however tended considerably to shake our 
prejudices on this subject, and our cathedral Taste begins 
to give way, before the richness, vigour and variety of 
Haydn, and the fancy, feeling, and animation of Mozart. 

Manner, however, is perhaps, in painting, more fatal 
and offensive than in any other Art, and is therefore, more 
cautiously to be avoided. It often seduces inexperience, 
and always satisfies vanity. It bears an appearance of 



%?% ELEMENTS OF ART. 

In trite routine, by knack, from Nature led, 

The plodding hand still supersedes the head ; 

Pleased, in the present toil reflects the past, 

And stamps the next dull ditto of the last. 

Be this his praise, who thus his Art degrades, 45 

A good mechanic in the worst of trades. 

Where'er the pencil ostentatious plays, 
And Touch obtrusive claims the critic's praise, 



facility, which captivates those, who find the management of 
the pencil difficult ; and it carries an air of power, which 
flatters the feebleness of those, who have more dexterity 
than strength. He who falls into manner, has got a re- 
ceipt for making pictures, which even if his Taste should 
reform, his indolence will not readily resign, since it affords 
a mechanical substitute for skill, which saves at once, the 
toil of imitation, and supersedes the necessity of thought. 
What the mannerist can do, he always does with ease ; 
and what is done with ease, he is willing to suppose well 
done. There is a flourish about him which seems to be- 
speak the master, and a certainty that appears to be the 
result of science. He deceives himself therefore, more 
than he deceives others, till at length, turning wholly from 
Nature and Truth, he Narcissus-like, admires himself in 
the stream of his own Art, and falls a victim to vanity and 
delusion. 



CANTO FIFTH. 273 

Nature and Truth their chaster charms refuse, 

And Taste the vain parade contemptuous views. 50 

Judicious Feeling will not here offend, 

But hold the means subservient to the end, 

Repress the prurient pencil, and subdue 

The glittering palette to a graver hue. 

Wrapp'd in his part, the skilful actor feels 55 

He plays it best, when he himself conceals. 

Some lofty fools, of fancied science vain, 
The pencil's aid, as handicraft, disdain ; 
To clothe their high conceptions, scarce submit, 
And claim the careless privilege of wit : 60 



Line 59. To clothe their high conceptions, scarce submit.] 
— There are two great sects in Art, the members of which 
pursue their ends by opposite means ; maintain their re- 
spective principles with equal zeal, and often indulge, like 
other sectaries, in the expression of mutual contempt and 
reprobation. Of these, the one may be termed idealists^ 
the other naturalists. The former reject imitation entirely, 
as a degrading misapplication of the pencil ; the latter, 
wholly depend upon it, as the only means of merit and 
success. The idealist consults only the model in his 
mind ; and triumphs in the dignified pursuit of the poeti- 
cal and the sublime. The naturalist copies closely the 

T 



274 ELEMENTS OF ART. 

Aristo, with triumphant sneer, assails 
The patient tribe who plod in dull details, 
Who poorly still to please the eye aspire, 
And see in Nature something to admire: 



model in his eye, and congratulates himself on the possession 
of Truth and Nature. The school of Michael Angelo will 
furnish sufficient examples of the one, the school of Rem- 
brandt abounds with examples of the other. 

These may be considered the extremes of Taste, and are 
consequently, at an equal distance from the middle point, 
where only the perfection of Art is to be found. He con- 
ceives his subject well to no purpose, who expresses it 
badly ; and he who conceives his subject badly, will imitate 
his models in vain. The orator who neglects the graces of 
language and delivery, will make but little impression, 
and find, that sense without fluency, is as inefficient, as 
fluency without sense. 

The painter and the poet of the present day, who con- 
fiding in the sublimity of their conceptions, and the eleva- 
tion of their views, shall disdain to cultivate the humbler 
graces and decorations, which are appropriate to their re- 
spective Arts, will be left to the undisturbed enjoyment of 
their imaginary pre-eminence, and suffered to pile up their 
productions in the dusty dignity of the shew-room and the 
bookseller's shop. 

In painting, indeed, above all arts 5 the study of those 
qualities which contribute to set off our thoughts to the 



CANTO FIFTH. %J5 

To strike the mind, is his superior part, 65 

Inspired with all the poetry of Art ! 
He scorns to court the pamper'd sense, or raise 
The vulgar tribute of plebeian praise ; 



best advantage, is an essential duty. The eye is a fastidi- 
ous sense, and turns easily from what it dislikes : the 
painter who prides himself on addressing the mind, should 
recollect, that he can gain admission there only by this 
entrance, and it will be in vain to urge his pretensions, or 
talk of his powers, if he appears without the proper 
passport. 

But sometimes, when we cannot make our practice 
conformable to our principles, we endeavour to make our 
principles conformable to our practice. Thus, they, who 
in the attainment of other merits, have neglected the study 
of chiaro 'scuro, colouring, and execution, ingeniously pro- 
mulgate a law, by which, their deficiency is not only excused, 
but applauded, and the defect of their necessity is con- 
verted into a beauty of choice. We therefore, hear fre- 
quently, of " an historical style of colouring," of a 
u severity of style suited to the grand character of Art," 
and of the propriety of disregarding those minor merits of 
imitation, which according to this convenient canon of cri- 
ticism, are not only unnecessary, but injurious to the 
higher qualities of Taste. 

As far as the Author understands this doctrine, he dis- 
sents from it : he knows of no standard by which the 



%76 ELEMENTS OF ART. 

He's all ideal, abstract, and sublime, 

He generalizes passion, place, and time ; 70 

No aid from awkward Nature lie requires, 

At Fancy's magic lamp he lights his fires, 



works of Art can be judged, but the standard of Nature ; 
and he conceives, that there is no rational principle, which 
can authorise us to consider as inappropriate or injudi- 
cious in those works, the perfection of any quality, which 
she has essentially connected with the character and beauty 
of her productions. 

Every scene, natural or imitated, is made up of form, 
colour, and light ; however expressed under the various 
modifications of action and passion, of hue and reflection, 
of light and of shade. These are the elements of every 
picture which is presented to our eye, by the hand of 
Nature, or of Art, and according to their purity and per- 
fection we are pleased. The most perfect picture must 
necessarily be that, in which all those elements combine 
and co-opei ate, each to its peculiar end : to maintain that 
the effect of the whole may be improved by the imperfection 
of any of the parts, is to contradict the consistency of 
Nature, the general harmony of things, and the general 
experience of Science. 

But it is said, the qualities of colouring and chiaro'scuro, 
are so predominant and attractive, that where displayed in 
full force, they seduce our attention from the higher beau- 
ties of Taste, and therefore, their influence, should be 



CANTO FIFTH. 277 

And thinks wild dreams, in rudest scramble shewn, 
The want of every finish'd grace atone. 
But noblest thoughts, the dress of Taste demand, 75 
To strike impressive from the painter's hand : 



studiously diminished, by abating their allurements, when 
the more chaste and intellectual merits of Art are in- 
tended to be expressed. Little however, appears to be gained 
by this reasoning; for the ill consequence supposed, 
can result only from the misapplication or abuse of those 
captivating qualities. Every scene and subject has its ap- 
propriate character of light and colour, as well as of form 
and action ; and when this character is judiciously pre- 
served, the utmost effort of skill may be employed upon it, 
not only without injury, but with material advantage. 

It would not be more absurd, than unnatural, to repre- 
sent a funeral with all the glare of a wedding; or to bestow 
the bloom of health and joy, on the fading face of care and 
sorrow. It would be ridiculous to light an assassination by 
the splendour of noon day, or to exhibit the magnificence 
of a feast, in the gloom of a dungeon. The St. Peter 
Martyr of Titian, and the Marriage of Cana by Paul 
Veronese, present opposite characters of colouring and 
chiaro 'scuro, yet the highest excellence of these qualities, 
is to be found in each, according to the nature of the sub- 
ject, and suited to the gaity or the gravity of the scene. 

The features of a Medea meditating the murder of her 
children, are not to be invested with the " purple light of 



278 ELEMENTS OF ART. 

Gold may be valued in the ore or mine, 

But 'tis the stamp that makes it current coin ; 

Poets and Painters, close allied in Art, 

Must thro' the outwork senses win the heart, 80 



love," or the roseate hue of an Hebe : not because the 
beauty of such colouring, would divert the eye from the 
terrific expression intended to be conveyed ; but because 
such blooms, are not in nature, connected with the appear- 
ance of those passions, which the face of Medea, at such a 
moment, should express ; but the sallow aspect of fury 
and revenge, the haggard hue of sorrow and desperation, 
should not be degraded to the tawny tint of a drum head, 
or the dusky brown of a mulatto. They furnish opportu- 
nities for the exercise of discriminating skill in the colourist, 
which call forth his best exertions, and when successfully 
represented, shew a refinement of feeling and science, often 
superior to that which is required to display the more florid 
effects of health and beauty. 

From the great stores of Nature, the judicious painter, 
under the guidance of propriety, will select his models in 
this, as well as in every other department of his Art; but 
when they are judiciously chosen, they cannot be too well 
imitated. The intellectual Artist need not fear to indulge 
his pencil in the display of those subordinate graces; he 
may give a loose to all the powers of a Titian, and be sa- 
tisfied, that if he has sense to apply them properly, they 
will not detract from the sublimity of his conceptions or 



CANTO FIFTH. 279 

For eye and ear provide the proper charm, 
And ere they gain the fort, the guard disarm. 

If some, thro' pride, from painting thus have stray'd, 
A meaner tribe mistake it for a trade, 



the value of his design. A hero of flesh and blood will be 
as effective an agent in his hands, as a hero of brick, or 
stone, or wood, or leather. But let him not imagine when 
he has coloured his men like mahogany, and his women 
like gypsies ; when he has displayed ; 

" No light, but rather darkness visible, 
u Serving to discover sights of woe," 
let him not imagine that he has effected (c an historical 
colouring, peculiarly adapted to elevated subjects," nor 
flatter his skilfulness by supposing it conformable to that 
66 severity of style suited to the grand character of Art.'* 

There is no subject in which an able painter may not 
shew with advantage his skill in colouring, chiaro 'scuro, 
and execution ; not by repressing, but by producing the 
perfection of these qualities. The noblest conceptions of 
grandeur and sublimity, may be accommodated with their 
appropriate beauty, from these sources as well as the most 
light and airy compositions of ordinary and familiar life. 

They who defend the unskilful colouring of Poussin and 
the Roman School, as suited to the grand and sublime cha- 
racter of Art, might as well say, that the effects of pity and 



280 ELEMENTS OF ART. 

Low praise for mere dexterity demand, 85 

And juggler like, exult in sleight of hand ; 
The Painter's tricks, like Breslaw's, may amuse 
The Tyro train, and vulgar eyes abuse, 



terror would be heightened on the stage, if the actors were 
to tinge their faces with brick dust, and exhibit their scenes 
by the ray of a rush-light. 

The Author must not omit to state however, (though 
conscious how much it must weaken the effect of his rea- 
soning) that the principle which he has above attempted 
to controvert, has found an advocate in Reynolds — in 
Reynolds! from whose works maybe selected, examples 
of excellence in colouring, effect and execution, which are 
suited to the noblest conceptions of the Art. 

The following passage, occurs in a note to Mason's trans- 
lation of Fresnoy's Art of Painting. u In heroic subjects 
it will not I hope appear too great a refinement of criticism 
to say, that the want of naturalness or deception of the 
Art, which give to an inferior style its whole value, is no 
material disadvantage. The Hours, for instance, as repre- 
sented by Julio Romano, giving provender to the horses of 
the Sun, would not strike the imagination more forcibly, 
from their being coloured with the pencil of Rubens, though 
he would have represented them more naturally, but might 
he not by that very act, have brought them down from the 
celestial state to the rank of mere terrestrial animals ?" 

It will be perceived, that the doctrine advanced in this 



CANTO FIFTH. 281 

But Taste and Science soon the cheat proclaim, 

And put the palette-conjuror to shame. 90 

Some, idly curious, plunge in pedant lore, 
And pleased, the " palpable obscure" explore ; 



note is so cautiously stated, under the u hope of its not 
being deemed too great a refinement of criticism," as to 
excite a suspicion that Reynolds himself, was not quite 
convinced by his own reasoning. 

If by " naturalness or deception of the Art," the anno- 
tator intended to describe that facsimile servility — that 
vulgar imitation, which instead of the character which 
ought to be expressed, gives you the portrait of the model 
who chanced to be made use of by the painter, there would 
be no ground for dispute ; but the example by which 
Reynolds has illustrated his position, proves it to have a 
meaning more extended. 

Julio Romano was one of the weakest, and Rubens was 
one of the most powerful colourists ; it is evident therefore, 
that by contrasting them on this occasion, the writer 
wished to inculcate that the inferior colouring of the for- 
mer, is more appropriate to the subject above-mentioned, 
and by inference, to all heroic subjects, than the superior 
colouring of the latter ; in other words, that a painter who 
had no skill in this department of the Art, coloured heroic 
subjects in a manner more appropriate, that is, better, than 



282 ELEMENTS OF ART. 

Deep learn'd in graphic gossipings of old, 

The pencil's private history they unfold ; 

From Pliny, down to Pilkington have traced, 95 

The critic's progress thro' the maze of Taste; 



a painter who possessed a great deal. It must be observed, 
that form and character are out of the question, as it is in 
the colouring of his work that Julio is here preferred to 
Rubens. The illustration indeed, appears to be very un- 
luckily selected; for, if there is one subject, which more 
than another, not only admits, but demands the powers of 
a great colourist, the Author conceives, it is u the Hours 
giving provender to the horses of the Sun:" here, surely, 
the peculiar splendours of Rubens might be employed with 
advantage — the richest treasures of his palette might be 
consistently displayed. 

But it is said, that by representing the Hours more na- 
turally he might " bring them down from their celestial state 
to the rank of mere terrestrial animals*" The word natu~ 
rally is here rather vague ; if it is meant to say, that Rubens, 
by colouring the Hours, with that splendour and beauty 
of which his pencil was capable, would " bring them down 
from the celestial state," in which the inferior colouring of 
Romano had placed them, the Author can neither conceive, 
nor admit such a consequence. 

We can form no idea of a celestial state, or celestial 
natures, but by representing to our minds, the highest 
possible perfection of sublunary things and human quali- 



CANTO FIFTH. 283 

Where deep sagacily delighted proves, 

How merit's orb grows bright as it removes ; 

That little we to living worth should trust, 

And honour Genius — only in the dust. 100 

In anecdotes of Art Curioso deals, 
And careful treasures all that Time reveals ; 



ties : divinities of our creating are only superior men : a 
heaven of our formation is only a happier earth : no exer- 
tion enables us to soar beyond ourselves, or rise above the 
scene which we inhabit. When the painter therefore, 
would represent a superior or celestial being, he can do it 
only by expressing human qualities in their highest perfec- 
tion. Now, as colour is a constituent of human beauty, as 
well as form, or expression, the Author conceives, the ut- 
most possible perfection of that quality, to be not only 
consistent with, but essential to our most complete idea of 
a celestial being. As, from the restricted nature of our 
conceptions, an etherial personage from our hands, must 
be formed of flesh and blood ; the more perfect and beau- 
tiful those indispensible properties of our humble divi- 
nities can be made, the more appropriate must they be 
considered to that elevation of character which we are 
desirous to express. 

The colouring of Rubens therefore, approaching to per- 
fection much nearer than that of Romano, would not, the 



284 ELEMENTS OF ART, 

Sharp as a sportsman, keeps the game in view, 

And hunts the closest coverts of Virtu ; 

Nay, sounds tradition's depths for what survives, 105 

And with a commentator's keenness dives; 

How Titian held his pencil— what his ground, 

Or white, or black — his palette square, or round, 

If Vandyke at his eazle, sate or stood, 

Or used blue black, or glazed with dragon's blood ; 110 

Just how much light thro' Rembrandt's wall convey'd, 

From north or south admitted — sun or shade; 

Could he but know ! thus lifted from the crowd, 

The man were happy, and the painter proud. 

But lo ! with all Italia's honours graced, 115 

The travell'd Artist from the tour of Taste, 



Author conceives, u have brought down the Hours from 
their celestial state to the rank of mere terrestrial animals ;" 
but, on the contrary, as far as colouring is concerned, must 
have tended to raise them to a higher heaven than the in- 
ferior skill of Romano in this respect, has been able to 
attain. 

They who have excelled in subjects of a grand and ele- 
vated character, have rarely been able to combine with 
their other accomplishments, the merits of colouring, chiaro 
'scuroj and execution ; but let us not therefore, contract 



CANTO FIFTH, 285 

Triumphant comes, in conscious pride to raise 

Our vulgar wonder, and unvalued praise. 

Painters and critics lacker'd o'er at Rome, 

In gloss of Taste are sure to shine at home ; 120 



our ideas of excellence, in compliment to their deficiencies, 
nor endeavour to persuade ourselves, that we see in the im- 
perfection of their Art, a principle of their science. 

Line 119. Painters and critics lacker' d o'er at Rome^\—~ 
The vanity which results from a visit to the Vatican, is not 
confined to critics ; the painter is sometimes found to have 
his full share of it, and it is in him the less excusable, as 
more knowledge should make him more modest, and ex- 
perience might convince him, that in matters of taste, 
affectation is as truly ridiculous, as it is easily exposed. 

But he who cannot take pride in what he has done, will 
endeavour to be proud of what he has seen; and will ab- 
surdly suppose himself recommended to our esteem, by the 
impertinent enumeration of opportunities which he has 
neglected, and advantages of which he has been insensible. 

To have seen every thing, and to have done nothing, is a 
source of mortification rather than a subject of vanity: to 
have possessed all the means, without obtaining the ends of 
study, argues a want of industry or talent, which leaves 
indolence and imbecility without excuse or consolation. 

He who visits Rome without becoming a connoisseur, 
must have much more, or much less sense than falls to the 
lot of most travellers : the temptation is too strong for or- 



286 ELEMENTS OF ART. 

On Tiber's banks have they but pass'd a week. 1 

They ever after rave of the antique, 

In loud delirium Nature's charms disown, 

And like Pigmalion, fall in love with stone. 

Blockheads or boors abroad, pass current here 125 

As connoisseurs, and all the vain revere. 

Couch'd for the cataract of taste, their eyes 

No more our coarse unpolish'd merits prize ; 

Or should perchance, some awkward effort raise, 

A gracious smile, they pity while they praise. 130 

Balbuto prates in flippant phrase of Art, 
Knows every hand — has every name by heart ; 



dinary faculties. It is impossible to live, even for a short 
time, amongst antiques, cameos and intaglios — surrounded 
by Cognoscenti and Ciceroni, without experiencing some 
stirrings of ambition — some heaving hopes of dilettanti fame. 
Italy has long been the great market of Virtu, from which 
all the other countries of Europe have been supplied : the 
raw materials of criticism are there in such abundance, that 
all those are sure to ballast with Taste, who cannot load 
with knowledge. But however our native Arts may suffer 
by this species of importation, the worst enemy to their in- 
terests, is to be found amongst those disappointed votaries 
of the pencil, who having travelled without talent, have 



CANTO FIFTH. 287 

View'd in the Vatican the Pope at prayer, 

And counted all the priests and pictures there ; 

Has traversed temples, theatres, and halls, 135 

And wept o'er fading frescos on their walls ; 

Nay peep'd into Pompeii, 'tis averr'd, 

And witnessed all the wonders there interr'd, 

Nor faiTd, while pensive 'midst the shatter'd store, 

To find some fragments for his native shore, 140 

Some precious relics from the wreck of Rome, 

To soothe the cognoscenti rage at home. 

Of picture history too, his head 's a hoard, 

Beyond a dealer's erudition stored ; 

Familiar with each cabinet of note, 145 

There's not a catalogue but he can quote! 

Could shew the nail on which hung each chef d'oeuvre, 

Now placed with Europe's plunder in the Louvre : 

The antiqurian to the artist joins, 

The very oracle of gems and coins ! 150 



returned without merit ; who officiate as the prime agents 
of artifice, and the ready panders of vanity ; who flatter- 
ing all the prejudices, and feeding all the follies of Taste, 
contribute to discredit the ability which they cannot ap- 
proach, and endeavour to reinforce the feebleness of the 
Artist by the quackeries of the Cicerone. 



288 ELEMENTS OP ART, 

In short, no pen such merits can impart, 

Balbuto's skill'd in all things—but his Art; 

Yet hear his words ! you'll swear Apelles speaks, 

Inspired with all the science of the Greeks ; 

Or Titian's self, dispatched from heav'n in haste, 155 

To shew his secret to the world of Taste. 

His works indeed, a different story tell, 

And prove 'tis not by talking we excel.* 

How many fondly waste the studious hour, 
To seek in process, what they want in power ! 160 
Their time in curious search of colours lose, 
Which, when they find, they want the skill to use ! 
Till all in gums engross'd, macgilps and oils, 
The painter sinks amid the chemist's toils. 



Line 164. The painter sinks amid the chemist's toils.~] — 
The folly here noticed, is too prevalent amongst us 3 and 
should be discountenanced, as equally delusive and dange- 
rous. The process-hunter in painting is the alchemist of 
the palette ; whose imagination riots in the hope of disco- 
veries, which are to abridge the labours of industry, and 



* Dispositumque typum non lingua pinxit Apelles. 

Fresnoy. 



CANTO FIFTH. 289 

Parthennius thinks in Reynolds' steps he treads, 165 
And every day a different palette spreads ; 
Now bright in vegetable bloom he glows, 
His white — the lily, and his red— the rose; 



reward the sagacity of science. Undepressed by disappoint- 
ment, he persists, in spite of experience, and dissipates 
that time and talent in the crucible of experiment, which, 
if more reasonably employed, would have enabled him to 
obtain his object by ordinary means and known materials. 
The Artist who has been once visited by this mania, is 
restored with great difficulty to the rational path of prac- 
tice. As in most other insanities, the cure is never com- 
plete. There is always a disposition to relapse, whenever 
any little occurrence of Art, or accident of execution, sup- 
plies a new gleam of hope, or suggests a new hint for 
experiment and expectation. 

From this disease the good sense of Reynolds did not 
entirely secure him ; but the vigour of his genius sustained 
him where weaker powers would have been exhausted or de- 
stroyed. The fluctuation of his style, and the fugitive cha- 
racter of his colouring, which have been observed at some 
particular periods of his practice, are however, attributable 
to this cause. But though he sought assistance from pro- 
cess, Reynolds never depended upon it : his most faded 
works display a delicacy and refinement of hue, which 

u 



%Q0 ELEMENTS OF ART. 

But soon aghast, amid his transient hues, 
The ghost of his departed picture views : 170 

Now burning minerals, fossils, bricks and bones, 
He seeks more durable in dusky tones, 



prove the value of what has been lost, by the worth of 
that which remains. 

" The light of science leaves behind a ray, 
" That beams through time, and beautifies decay.'' 
It may be said of Reynolds, that the ghost of his departed 
Art is better than the flesh and blood of ordinary men. 

The Author would be sorry to discourage the Student in 
any pursuit that tends to make him master of his tools, or 
acquainted with his materials. As every thing in painting 
is effected by means of colours, it is proper, that the qua- 
lities of those agents should be investigated, and their powers 
ascertained : but it is as dangerous to over -rate this 
knowledge, as to neglect it; for the practice of their appli- 
cation, is worth more than the theory of their nature. The 
one is useful, but the other is essential ; and he who has 
painted one picture, has gained more of the knowledge 
which is necessary to his Art, than he who has analyzed 
all the colours of the palette. 

Mechanical modes of operation are certainly very im- 
portant to the painter ; they exist however, in all the 
varieties of local and individual practice ; according to 
school and skill. And as it is evident that some of these 
modes must be superior to others, a desire to discover 



CANTO FIFTH. 291 

And triumphs in such permanence of dye, 
That all seems fix'd, which Taste would wish to fly. 
Now oil's in favour — varnish now's the rage, 175 

Together blended now they both engage ; 



the best, is not only natural, but laudable. It is only, 
when this desire is indulged to excess, that it becomes dan- 
gerous ; when the experimental propensity, is allowed to 
assume the character of habit, and the authority of science. 

When the painter begins to depend upon his system ra- 
ther than his strength ; when he trusts to the qualities of 
his ground, or the virtues of his vehicle, for the attainment 
of that excellence, which may be extracted from the most 
common materials by the process of feeling and taste, there 
is reason to fear, that the disorder is fast approaching to a 
height, which no course of criticism, no medicine of common 
sense can be expected to subdue. 

Experience proves, that the beauties of colouring are to 
be found by genius and industry in almost every system : 
they depend more on the eye and the hand, than the pa- 
lette or the process : they are to be discovered not only 
in the practice of Titian, but in that of Correggio, of Ru- 
bens, of Rembrandt, and of Reynolds. And although in 
general, the merits of the first of these great Artists are to 
be preferred, if we ascribe his superiority to process we 
degrade without accounting for his excellence. 

That which is reduced to system may become a princi- 
ple of science, but it is no longer a prerogative of Taste : 



292 , ELEMENTS OF ART. 

Now loud in praise of water grounds he warms, 

Or dreams with Caylus of encaustic charms; 

Now floats his liquid surface, smooth as glass, 

Now works in wax, and melts the loaded mass ; 180 

Yet sanguine still, though every trial fails, 

The frenzy of experiment prevails. 

These fools infectious, still with care repel, 

They quack their Art so much 'tis never well ; 

Like patients in despair of health, they try 185 

What charlatans or nostrums can supply, 

Till invalided, we their case record, 

Amongst th' incurables in Critics' ward. 

With just respect impress'd for genuine Art, 
Which time alone to talent can impart, 190 



from the elevation of Genius it is brought down to the level 
of ordinary talent, and loses in general admiration what it 
gains in general use. What many can perform, few will 
be found to praise. He who invented the rule was a 
genius, but he who applies it is only a mechanic. 

Whatever in painting can be discovered to lessen its dif- 
ficulties, and balance the inequality of talent; whatever 
tends to reduce the eccentricities of Genius to the regula- 
rity of routine, and to provide mechanical substitutes for 
sensibility and taste, may render its beauties more com- 



CANTO FIFTH. £93 

Rich prize of Taste ! achieved by toil and thought, 

No palette miracle by process wrought ! 

From study's open channel never stray, 

To chase the favourite phantom of the day ; 

Nor vainly hope, relieved from labour's claim, 195 

To find a short mechanic road to fame. 



mon, but will not make them more captivating ; may 
possibly make it more attainable as a trade, but not more 
liberal as an art, or illustrious as an ornament. 

Line 192. No palette miracle by process wrought !~\ — The 
pretended discovery of the Venetian secret will be recol- 
lected to have occasioned, a few years ago, no small sensa- 
tion in the world of Taste ; and the degree to which 
enthusiasm may get the better of discretion, was strikingly 
exemplified on that occasion. 

The fame of the Corinthian maid, as the inventor of 
painting, was nearly eclipsed by the renown of her modern 
rival, as the restorer of its Venetian lustre ; and the ludi- 
crous alacrity with which men, learned in the principles, 
and grown grey in the practice of their Art, submitted 
their pencils to the guidance of a girl, is a circumstance as 
curious and extraordinary, as any thing of this nature, that 
has occurred since the days when Hercules twirled a dis- 
taff under the direction of Omphale. Let it be remembered 
however, to the advantage of the ancient hero, that if he 
became the pupil of his mistress, it was only in an art 
which she was fully competent to teach, and that he did 



394 ELEMENTS OF ART, 

From Horace learn, ye tribes ! who make pretence 
To write or paint, the secret is — good sense.* 

The palette's treasures spread with frugal hand^ 
Nor glaring let the florid tribes expand, 200 



not take a lesson from her in the management of his club, 
or the performance of his labours. 

But though the delusion which operated so powerfully 
upon the Heraclidae of Art is now pretty well over, the dis- 
position which favoured it, is still unsuppressed ; and will 
probably furnish new opportunities to new adventurers in 
the field of process and experiment. New hopes arise from 
new nostrums, and the evils of one quackery are forgotten 
in the attractions of another. 

An individual Artist has certainly a right, if he pleases, to 
convert his painting-room into a laboratory ; to call in the 
crucible in aid of the pencil, and conduct his picture by a 
course of chemical experiment : if he indulges in the fanciful 
procedures of the day, he takes the consequences of his 
practice on the responsibility of his reputation. But a 
body, constituted to preside over the interests of Art, can- 
not be too cautious, how they are induced to give coun- 
tenance to those venders of palette panaceas, and Venetian 
vehicles : it is incumbent on them, to take care, that they 



* « 



Scribendi recte sapere est et principium et fons." 



CANTO FIFTH. %g5 

With vain attempt to catch the crowd, and rise 
The radiant star of Academic skies ; 
With just contempt reject their vulgar claim, 
Who 're always in a flutter or a flame ; 



do not by their own example, authorise the Student to 
look to such fallacious resources, for the attainment of that 
ability, which Academic discipline and regular study must 
supply. 

If the Student is taught to depend on his materials rather 
than his mind, to have recourse to artifice, rather than to 
art, and expect from the witcheries of process, some sudden 
burst of knowledge, or certain means of skill, he will soon 
turn with disgust from the dull and tedious routine of re- 
gular application, which holds out no such magical allure- 
ments ; in which no wonders are to be expected, but those 
which Genius can perform, and no secrets are to be disco- 
vered but such as industry extorts from time. 

Line 202. The radiant star of Academic skies ;] — What- 
ever advantages may be supposed to arise from public ex- 
hibitions of the works of Taste, there is reason to fear, that 
they are more than counterbalanced by the evils which 
attend them ; and the experience of all countries in which 
they have been introduced, may lead us to doubt, whether, 
on the whole, they contribute more to promote or impede 
the attainment of excellence in Art. 

In this country, it must be acknowledged, that our 
greatest painters have not been the fruit of this tree ; 



29# ELEMENTS OF ART* 

Who throw out lures unlicensed, to decoy, 205 

And artifice, auxiliary employ : 

Reynolds, West, Barry, Hogarth, Wilson, Gainsborough, 
were ripe in fame and merit, before it can be said to have 
been planted amongst us ; and if we look abroad to the 
old masters, we find the most eminent amongst them were 
those, who flourished antecedent to such establishments- - 

That the various productions of the day, collected and 
displayed at one view, form an object highly interesting} 
and likely to excite in the public a more general attention 
to the Arts, few will be disposed to deny : that the means 
of comparison which an exhibition affords, must tend to 
improve the powers of the painter, and the taste of the 
spectator, though a proposition somewhat more disputable, 
and requiring much explanation, will perhaps be as readily 
conceded ; and to what extent these good effects might be 
secured and assisted, under judicious regulations and enlight- 
ened views, it is impossible to calculate. But our present 
question relates to exhibitions as they have been, as they 
are, and as they are likely to be ; and this view of them sup- 
plies nothing very favourable as to the past, nor flattering as 
to the future. 

There is one good effect however, attributable to an ex- 
hibition, which appears to be of some importance, and but 
little alloyed with evil. It introduces at once to the pub- 
lic an Artist of merit, who might be a considerable time 
making his way to general notice, through the private cir- 
culation of his worth. Wilkie was known in a week, by 



CANTO FIFTH. 297 



Distrust their real vigour, and believe, 
They try to dazzle, only to deceive. 



exhibiting his village politicians. But this advantage re* 
spects the Artist rather than the Art ; and it must be 
recollected, that if the merits of Wilkie were published 
in an exhibition room, they were not produced there. 

An exhibition however, it is said, excites emulation, and 
emulation is the spur of Genius : the conclusion is evident, 
and would be just, if emulation was always genuine or 
generous. But the spur of Genius is ill applied, if it urges 
in a wrong direction, and impels him to the pursuit of 
qualities inconsistent with the perfection of Art: if it' 
quickens to the profitable rather than the praise-worthy : 
if in short, it prompts to a contention of meretricious allure- 
ments rather than of modest merit, and promotes the cun- 
ning that entraps attention more than the skill that de- 
serves it. 

He who is more ambitious of praise than merit, will stop 
at no means of obtaiuinghis object : he will glitter or glare 
as it may suit his purpose : he will pamper without scruple, 
the grossest appetite of Taste, and poison rather than not 
please it. He is a profligate in the morality of Art, who 
studies every artifice of seduction, and debauches the pub- 
lic opinion in order to possess it more securely. An exhi- 
bition is the scene in which characters like this will 
always triumph : it is the drawing-room of Taste, where 
superficial qualities are always the most attractive : where 



298 ELEMENTS OF ART. 

In hues alike remote from glare or gloom, 

A soften'd splendor, and a mellow'd bloom ; 210 



vanity and presumption shine in the centre of the circle, 
while virtue and merit are unnoticed in a corner. 

Reynolds had a just impression of the ill consequences of 
an exhibition, considered in this light. " Our exhibi- 
tions," says he, u while they produce such admirable 
effects by encouraging emulation, and calling out Genius, 
have also a mischievous tendency, by seducing the painter 
to an ambition of pleasing indiscriminately the mixed mul- 
titude of persons who resort to them." While Reynolds 
lived however, this general run at reputation was held in 
check : he was the great leader of the concert, and the 
band tuned their instruments to his pitch : but now like 
Skirmish and Simpkin in the farce of the Deserter, every 
man plays his own tune, and endeavours to outnoise his 
neighbour. 

Few Artists indeed, have resolution sufficient to resist 
the adoption of any means of attraction in a scene, where 
not to be noticed is to be condemned. To strike^ is there- 
fore, the great object of ambition : to flash upon the pub- 
lic eye, and fix the general gaze in annual wonder, is at 
once the stimulus and the study of the year. He who 
passes the first hour of exhibition without hearing from all 
sides, the echoes of his brilliancy and his force, considers 
the present opportunity as lost, and at once transfers his 
hopes to that returning period of publicity, when he can 



CANTO FIFTH. 2Q9 



The blushing Muse judicious Taste arrays, 
Nor lets the rainbow on her bosom blaze. 



try more dazzling splendours of effect, and more ingenious 
devices of allurement. 

Thus may the spirit of competition be perverted, and 
the ardour of enthusiasm exhausted, in ill-judged efforts to 
force attention, even at the expense of Taste. 

The emulation excited by an exhibition is rarely influ- 
enced by general and comprehensive views : occupied with 
local and partial objects, it becomes a rivalry not of posi- 
tive, but comparative excellence : not of the merits of the 
Art, but the manner of the school. Instead of contending 
with the great masters, we are obliged to contend with each 
other ; and to be the hero of the day is the summit of ambi- 
tion. The painter who is not engaged in this kind of local 
conflict, may enter the lists with Raphael or Rubens, with 
Titian or Correggio, he consults his own taste, and chooses 
his combatant; but he who suspends his picture in a public 
exhibition, must contend with those around him, and con- 
form to the fashions of the scene in which he hopes to shine. 
If he would not be defeated or disregarded, he must practise 
the manoeuvres of his competitors, and endeavour to foil 
them at their own weapons. 

But, will not a fine work of Art strike impressively in all 
situations, and consequently preserve its attraction in a 
public exhibition ? This question might be answered by 
Wilson, whose works were constantly overlooked there ; 



30Q ELEMENTS OF ART. 

Pure Art disdains by glitter to engage, 
Nor borrows taste theatric from the stage. 



by Gainsborough, who withdrew from the exhibition in 
disgust, or even by Reynolds, who sometimes required all 
the weight of his reputation, to bear him up against more 
popular and imposing noyeltieSo 

A chaste and sober style of Art is lost in the surround- 
ing glare ; is suppressed in the ostentatious struggle of ob. 
trusive pretensions. Shewy qualities will strike in a 
crowd of pictures, as well as in a crowd of persons, and he 
who catches the eye, is not always the most worthy to be 
seen. 

Particular examples may perhaps be found, of extraor- 
dinary talents having forced their way to public attention, 
through all the quackeries of exhibition allurement ; espe- 
cially in the humbler classes of Art, and on a smaller scale : 
but the Author's observations are general : if merit could 
never be distinguished in an exhibition, to reason upon the 
good or ill effects of such an establishment, would be ab- 
surd. 

That it is possible, to combine some of the higher qua- 
lities of Art ; with those popular seductions and exhibition 
blandishments, the genius of the day has sufficiently 
proved : but it is the general tendency of this annual con- 
test, to produce a taste for those tinsel captivations, which 
makes the evil of its influence preponderate. 

The study of an exhibition effect is now indeed an Art 



CANTO FIFTH. 301 

There all is strained too high, or sunk too low, 215 
And sober grandeur still submits to shew ; 



in itself; an art also, which occupies the attention to the 
prejudice of nobler objects. It is a kind of scene paint- 
ing, in which, at a given distance, Carver would surpass 
Claude : in which, every thing to be forcible must be 
violent — to be great, must be exaggerated : in which, all 
delicacy of expression, detail of parts, and discrimination 
of hues, are laid aside as useless particulars, or lost in the 
formless void of general masses. 

The exhibition is to Art, what the stage is to Manners — 
a scene where every thing must be extravagant to strike : 
the actor and the picture are equally dressed out for shew, 
and that which at a distance, appears all gold and jewels, 
a nearer approach proves to be cut glass and copper lace. 

In this view, the immense extent and height of our exhi- 
bition room are particularly injudicious : to do any execu- 
tion there, the painter is obliged to bring his Art to bear 
beyond the natural range of graphic ordnance. Every 
touch takes aim at the eye of the spectator, by a nice cal- 
culation of altitude and distance, and he must be a good 
marksman who can hit the point at which it should tell. 
He who is not practised in this species of graphic gunnery, 
whatever may be the weight of his metal, will but waste his 
shot. 

Thus, the Artist in the progress of his work, consults, 
not the effect of his picture on the eazel, of which he can 



302 ELEMENTS OF ART. 

High-stilted action struts for simple grace, 
And modest Nature seldom shews her face ; 



judge, but is guided by what he concludes will be the effect 
of it in the exhibition, which he can only guess : he proceeds 
however, upon the true hap-hazard principle, paints every 
part as a speculation of optics, and natters himself, that 
" What disproportioned seems, or out of place, 
tfi Due distance reconciles to form and grace. " 

But whatever influence the establishment of an exhibi- 
tion may be thought to have upon the Art, its effect upon 
the Artist, it is to be feared, cannot be considered favour- 
able. Emulation in liberal minds is a generous passion 
that disdains all unfair advantages in the contest, and 
esteems the honour of the triumph far beyond the value of 
the prize. But the desire of distinction may exist without 
the emulation of merit : it is then, not the spur of Genius, 
but the spring of vanity, and forms the irregular ambition 
of little minds. To those who are moved by this degenerate 
impulse, an exhibition offers a wide field of operation : little 
scrupulous as to the means of obtaining their object, they 
can there set various agents at work, all co-operating to 
the same end. They may call in policy, to the aid of 
painting, and sometimes succeed by trick, where they 
might fail by talent. 

What ingenious modes of attracting attention has ambi- 
tious imbecility devised! Two hostile generals cannot 
manoeuvre with more dexterity, to gain an advantageous 



CANTO FIFTH. 303 

In swelling tides inflated passion flows* 

And wild expression waits on studied woes. 220 



position in the field, than two rival painters, to secure the 
most conspicuous place in an exhibition room. 

Invention is exhausted in concerting new peculiarities of 
picture and frame, to secure at once priority of impression 
and distinction of place, and the spectator, who sometimes 
wonders at the awkward arrangement of an exhibition, is 
not aware, that works are placed there, like men upon a 
chess board, not by fancy or taste, but by design and stra- 
tagem. 

How much the habit of contriving those little schemes, 
and grasping at such paltry advantages, must tend to destroy 
all generosity of emulation in the Artist, and all dignity of 
sentiment in the man, is too evident to need either proof 
or illustration. 

But it is amongst those on whom the privilege of office 
confers the power of choice, that this ill effect is sometimes 
most strikingly apparent. To have the interests of our 
rivals in our hands, and hold the means to injure or to 
serve, affords an opportunity, which generosity will accept 
for its honour, selfishness will seek for its advantage, and 
malevolence will seize for its gratification. The consci. 
ousness of our power, in liberal minds, will always prevent 
its abuse ; for when we can do what we please, is the 
noblest moment for doing only what we ought. 

" Id facere laus est> quod decet, non quod licet." 



304 ELEMENTS OF ART. 

The pompous pageants of the scene impart 
A blustering, vain, bravura style of Art, 



And if there is a generous feeling in the human composi- 
tion, it ought surely to be called into action, at a time, 
When it may assume the highest character of virtue, as a 
sacrifice of interest at the shrine of magnanimity. 

But unhappily, these principles are too often forgotten 
in the heat and hurry of professional competition, and 
painters and poets, as well as warriors, will sometimes, 
take the field without such embarrassing accoutrements. 
To this kind of omission it must be attributed, that in the 
annual conflicts of the graphic host, we occasionally see an 
opportunity of reaping the laurels of liberality, not only 
neglected, but perverted ; that we find it seized upon as the 
exulting moment of secure self-preference; when malice 
may wound without appearing to strike ; when arrogance 
may thrust himself forward in every conspicuous place, and 
suppress his rivals under the sanction of example, and the 
shelter of authority. 

In this way it is, that the influence of an exhibition may 
become detrimental to the Artist, if not to the Art ; and 
undermine the principles of the one, while it displays the 
powers of the other. In this way, might an interesting 
competition of Genius and Taste be degraded to a periodical 
squabble of low passions and paltry interests, which instead 
of promoting honest emulation, or encouraging modest 
merit, would be made the instrument of suppressing both, 



CANTO FIFTH. 305 

The Muse laments her meretricious fate, 
While tinsel triumphs grace her gaudy state. 

Some, hope by mere facility to please, 225 

And think all excellence consists in ease: 



and become the pestilent focus of " envy, hatred, and all 
uncharitableness." 

While discussing, as a general question, the advantages 
and disadvantages which attend exhibitions of Art, it is im- 
possible to overlook the claims of that exhibition which a 
British Artist may be allowed to consider with pride, as 
affording a display of living genius that may challenge 
competition with the collected powers of the Continent. 
An exhibition also, which the British public should regard 
with some kindness, if not with some gratitude, as the sole 
support of an establishment, to which the nation is indebted 
for a general diffusion of taste and talent through all those 
pursuits and occupations, which are the most important to 
her manufacturing and commercial superiority. 

W hatever may be its influence upon the Art, or the Artist, 
the exhibition is the support of the Academy. With a dis- 
interestedness unexampled in any other age or country, a 
body of Artists have combined their efforts, and devoted the 
fruit of their labours, not (as the promoters of other exhi- 
bitions have justifiably done) to their own emolument, but 
to the maintenance of a public Institution, which ought 

x 



306 ELEMENTS OF ART. 

His rapid band is Presto's favourite boast 
Through all his toils his pencil travels post; 
Flies, like a spendthrift heir, from part to part, 
Out-runs his strength, and dissipates his art. 230 

Attempt not spirit till you strength acquire, 
And prize fidelity much more than fire; 



rather to have supported them, than to have been supported 
by them. When without patronage or protection themselves, 
they became the patrons and protectors of their country's 
taste and reputation ; and as far as their contracted means 
allowed, they have endeavoured to supply to the youthful 
genius of their time, those opportunities of improvement, 
which may enable them to rival their benefactors, and 
which national liberality and policy should have provided 
on a scale proportioned to the wealth and character of the 
empire. 

Line 224. While tinsel triumphs grace her gaudy state.~\ — 
The Author speaks of the stage only as relative to paint- 
ing : he by no means pretends to criticise the art of the 
actor, which works its own ends by its appropriate means, 
and is regulated on principles of experience and scenic 
necessity, of which he cannot be a competent judge. 

A play and a picture, are certainly, both intended as re- 
presentations of nature ; and supposing the models to be 
judiciously chosen, it would seem, that the perfection of 



CANTO FIFTH. 307 

Press forward on your steed with steady pace, 

Nor whip and spur at starting in the race ; 

True spirit, practice only can produce, 2,35 

Mature its birth, and obviate its abuse; 



the one, as well as the other, must be in proportion to the 
taste and truth of the imitation. But whether it is, that the 
exigency of dramatic effect requires it, or that the influence 
of custom has rendered it necessary, we find, particularly in 
the higher exhibitions of the stage, that a considerable 
latitude of likeness is allowed, if not recommended, in 
language, action, dress, and every other constituent of the 
scene ; and even where the resemblance professes to be 
the most exact, it is generally, so overcharged and exagge- 
rated, as to take it quite out of the sphere of graphic pro- 
priety. 

On the stage, it appears, that every thing must be 
raised above the natural pitch, as well as the voice of the 
actor ; the gesture of common life, the expression of real 
passion, are too tame and inanimate, to produce effect in a 
theatre, where the delicate graces of action, the finer fluc- 
tuations of feature and character, are suppressed by dis- 
tance, or unnoticed in a crowd of qualities more striking 
and obtrusive. Every part of the dramatic picture must be 
magnified to suit the focus of the scene in which it is to be 
shewn ; and an actor, who should lower his performance to 
the precise standard of nature and simplicity, would perhaps, 
find the truth of his imitation acknowledged in a general 



308 ELEMENTS OF ART. 

Light child of Taste! it thrives in talent's prime, 

Abortive, when it comes before its time; 

A foe, solicited, unsought, a friend, 

A lawful means, but a licentious end. 240 

Lo ! from his go-cart loosed, in fancy strong, 
The thoughtless Tyro joins the dashing throng, 



hiss. He would be thought insipid by the pit, inanimate 
by the boxes, asleep by the galleries, and absurd by all 
parts of the house. 

Painting does not labour under this disadvantage : her 
characters do not require to be raised upon the stilts of ex- 
aggeration : she need never strain her voice above the 
natural key, or work her agonies of passion, beyond the 
measured emotion of real life. It is when she attempts to 
assume the mask and the buskin, that she degrades both 
her office and character, and merits the hiss, which perhaps 
the actor who should entirely reject their assistance would 
both receive and deserve. 

But upon whatever principle we may reconcile or account 
for the difference which exists in the picturesque of the gra- 
phic and dramatic scene, or however we may consider the 
merits of each capable of closer similitude and mutual illus- 
tration, experience has proved, in all countries, that the 
painter derives no advantage in his art from the study of 
the stage. " Quid enim deformius quam scenam in vitam. 



CANTO FIFTH. 309 

Affects to soar with hardly skill to crawl, 
His step — a stumble, and his flight — a fall ; 



transferre," may be applied to Art, as well as to life ; and 
a theatrical taste, has ever been considered by sound critics 
of all ages, the most impure and hopeless vice which can 
deprave the powers of an Artist. 

If the English School has discovered some propensity to 
this defect, it may perhaps, be ascribed in a great degree, 
to the practice of painting scenes from plays, which has for 
some years past, supplied the only occupation of the histo- 
ric pencil in this country. The painter who takes his 
subject from Shakspeare, or any other poet in possession 
of the stage, is naturally desirous to observe the manner in 
which it is usually represented by the histrionic Artist : he 
wishes to compare the dramatic composition with his own, 
and avail himself of such suggestions for his purpose, as the 
general arrangement of the theatrical picture may supply. 
During this process however, his taste too often receives 
a bias, which materially affects the conduct and character of 
his work. He finds it impossible to get out of the theatre ; 
he cannot separate in his imagination the natural situation 
from the dramatic exhibition, nor extricate his pencil from 
those accessaries of scenic extravagance, which mingling 
with all his conceptions, pervert the purity of his art, 
and destroy the simplicity of nature. Thus his figures are 
all actors, and his scene is a drop curtain : his groups in- 
stead of being formed from his own observation of pictu- 



310 ELEMENTS OF ART. 

His object, less to please you than surprise, 245 

All diligence is dullness in his eyes; 



resque propriety, are all constructed according to thea- 
trical etiquette, in which every limb is pose ; every 
individual struggles eagerly into notice; and no character, 
whatever may be the urgency or energy of the action, can 
be tolerated in the rudeness of turning his back on the 
spectators. 

The tendency to the vice of taste here described, is not 
it is to be feared, decreasing amongst us. On the contrary, 
there is some danger, lest the authority of precept should 
co-operate with the influence of example in promoting its 
extension. It is not uncommon to hear the stage recom- 
mended, as a profitable school of study, to the painter — to 
find a course of operas prescribed to the valetudinarians of 
Virtu, as the best restorative of Taste, as the most effica- 
cious means to refine their notions of simplicity and grace, 
and invigorate the whole graphic system. 

The frippery character, and fantastic graces which have 
so long distinguished and degraded the productions of the 
French, may be in a great measure, ascribed to the influ- 
ence of the dramatic mania which prevailed amongst that 
people. It has been well observed, that their Artists 
looked at Nature only through an opera glass, and seemed 
to think her beauties much embellished by that flattering 
medium. 

The splendid and imposing pictures of the stage first 



CANTO FIFTH. 311 

The praise of cold correctness he declines, 
And patience to the plodding race resigns ; 



eclipsed, and then corrupted the chaster imitations of the 
graphic scene. Their critics once accustomed to the luxu. 
rious treat of theatric sensuality, lost all relish for the 
plainer fare of painting ; and began to consider as tame 
and insipid, the unostentatious dignity of Raphael and the 
Roman School. Nothing was piquant or palatable, but 
that which betrayed the haut gout of the grand opera. 
Strutting heroes, flaunting heroines, dramatic mummeries 
and meretricious airs, got possession of the public eye, 
which in a general perversion of taste, turned with con- 
tempt from the modest claims of Art and the sober simpli- 
city of Nature. 

The fatal consequences of that inflated style which grew 
out of this histrionic hot-bed, have been seen in the conti- 
nued prostitution of powers which, better directed, might 
have done honour to any age or nation ; and should operate 
as a timely warning to those amongst us, who may be de- 
sirous of tricking out their Art in the luscious loveliness of 
the stage. 

The graphic Muse disdains to imitate the second-hand 
graces of tragedy queens, and opera figurantes; she resorts 
at once to the fountain head of Truth and Taste, and holds 
herself " the mirror up to Nature." 

The painter who frequents the stage for the purpose of 
improvement, indulges in a kind of ocular intoxication, to 



312 ELEMENTS OF ART. 

In search of spirit, truth and sense forsakes, 

And wild extravagance for Genius takes. £50 



which his Tasle will soon fall a victim : the sober strength 
of Art quickly swells to the bloated debility of theatric 
extravagance, his hand shakes in all the tremors of affec- 
tation, and his Genius dies of a dramatic dropsy. 

Line 242. In search of spirit , truth and tasteforsakes,~] — 
One of the greatest obstacles to the attainment of excel- 
lence in any art, arises from the mistaken importance, 
which is often attached to qualities connected with the 
means by which we operate. We neglect the object of 
our journey in the allurements of the road — we stop to 
pick up some gaudy flower of the foot path, or perhaps, 
loiter our time to display our agility, in those unessential 
graces of movement, which rather retard than facilitate our 
progress. Thus, the poet engrossed by the beauties of 
language and the harmony of his versification, is sometimes 
seduced from attending to the vigour of his thoughts and 
the truth of his descriptions : the musician, delighted with 
the freedom of his bow, and the brilliancy of his finger, 
forgets in a flourish that the clamour of astonishment is not 
the tribute of Taste : and the painter, instead of rushing 
forward eagerly to his destination in the temple of Nature 
and Truth, divert his vigour, and deviates from his course, 
in pursuit of qualities, which have no real value, unless, 
when they are displayed as the fruit of his arrival, rather 
than the product of his road. 

Of all Artists indeed, the painter is he who suffers most 



CANTO FIFTH. 313 

This headlong, hasty, weak, presumptuous train, 
With pity contemplate, with pride disdain; 



from this error ; for in proportion as the means by which 
he operates, are more arduous and interesting than those of 
any other art, in proportion is he exposed to be deluded 
by their importance, and to confound the perfection of the 
work with the use of the tools. 

He who knows the difficulty of managing the pencil, is 
naturally pleased to see it employed with ease, and as the 
merits of execution may be displayed on any subject, how- 
ever trivial or contemptible, an Artist will often find 
matter for admiration in works, from which the unskilful 
observer would experience only indifference or dislike. 

We should however, carefully distinguish between the 
merits of the means, and the merits of the end ; and endea- 
vour to impress on our judgment a proper sense of their 
value and importance. In the English School, the merits 
of the means are allowed to preponderate in the scale, to 
a degree not quite consistent with the just equipoise of 
Taste. They have been much the object of ambition 
amongst us, and have attained to a dangerous dexterity in 
our practice, as well as a delusive importance in our esti- 
mation. That quality of execution called spirit, is consi- 
dered so essential, as to be the first demand of criticism, and 
is sometimes carried to such an excess, as to preclude all 
hope of correctness. 

The traces of time and toil are not to be pardoned 



314 ELEMENTS OF ART. 

Boast not of speed, nor think the crown of Taste, 
On flimsy feats of expedition placed ; 



even in the production of a Student : the " lima? labor et 
mora" we disdain. The most superficial dabbler in Vertu, 
will turn with indifference or disgust, from the substantial 
merits of Nature and Truth, unless they are served up with 
a strong seasoning of this pencil provocative. We are like 
some epicures, who will devour any thing by the help of a 
savoury sauce ; and the high peppering of execution has 
got such possession of our palate, that we are compara- 
tively insensible to the more solid ingredients of good 
Taste. 

To suffer the mere nourish and affectation of the pencil 
to influence so materially, our judgment of Art, is equally 
pernicious and absurd : an over admiration of such mecha- 
nical merits, never fails to divert the Student from the pur- 
suit of those higher qualities of painting, which he ought to 
consider, as the primary and important object of his ambition. 

To imitate with accuracy, is the first and most useful lesson 
which an Academy should teach ; for when the habit of 
fidelity is once established, facility follows of course. Spirit 
is never in the right place but when it attends upon Truth. 
Correctness is the only ground upon which we can em- 
broider with propriety, the graces of elegance : and of all 
vanities, that seems to be the most preposterous, which 
exults in doing with ease that which is not done with 
effect. 



CANTO FIFTH. 315 

Touch, and retouch your works, review, compare, 255 
Compose with freedom, but correct with care; 



Line 253. Boast not of speedy nor think the crown ofTaste^] 
— To excite surprise, if not the object of all Arts, seems at 
least the vanity of all Artists. The difficult and the uncom- 
mon, are performed with more exultation than the useful 
or the excellent ; and it must be confessed, that they are 
generally followed with more avidity, and applauded with 
more warmth. 

Misplaced admiration is indeed a common evil in society, 
and an evil much more important in its effects, than is 
generally supposed : it is watering the weed instead of the 
flower — turning into a wrong channel the current of that 
stream which is necessary to set in motion all the mills of 
Genius. To lavish applause on that which is not justly 
commendable, is to waste the dearest reward of rational 
ingenuity ; it impels in a wrong direction the natural desire 
of praise, and often makes a quack or a coxcomb of him, 
who under the influence of an appreciation more judicious, 
might have been, a man of sense and merit. 

But the wonderful, so invariably commands the acclama- 
tions of the crowd, that he who desires popularity, can sel- 
dom resist the temptation to gratify the public palate with 
its most favourite food. Thus the dancer endeavours rather 
to surprise by the agility, than to please by the grace of his 
movements ; for he who jumps the highest, or twirls 
round on one leg with the greatest velocity, is always the 



516 ELEMENTS OF ART, 

While Taste can find a fault, or toil remove, 
With patient hand, still polish and improve; 



most applauded. The poet who can string together one 
hundred bad rhymes u stans pede in uno," as Horace says, 
is more vain of his achievement than if he had composed 
five hundred good ones by the ordinary process of study 
and time ; and the most beautiful characters from the pen 
of a Tompkins, do not excite half the admiration that was 
bestowed on the scrawl written by Buckinger's toes. 

In Art, there have been many painters who coveted 
the praise of rapidity even at the expense of excellence ; 
and perhaps, the taste of u Luco fa presto" is not so much 
out of repute in the present day as might be wished, for 
the credit of the British School. 

He who is ambitious of producing excellence, must not 
be sparing of time as an ingredient : there may be a lucky 
hit of rapidity, or a fortunate effect of chance, but no 
work worthy of lasting admiration, was ever performed in 
a hurry. The efficacy of time and patience is not suffici- 
ently considered in the u materia graphica" of modern 
practice ; and to the more persevering use of those simples, 
may, in a great measure, be attributed, the superior success 
of the faculty of Taste in former times. 

Mengs says, that u one fine statue conferred immorta- 
lity upon its Author amongst the ancients, but that now 
fifty bad ones will hardly enable the Artist to live." Mo- 
dern painters, in particular, may be said to be like Dutch 



CANTO FIFTH. 317 

Perfections, visions floating in your view, 

With undiverted vigour still pursue, 260 



doctors, they must make up by the number of their pa- 
tients for the deficiency of their fees ; they must dispatch 
their work quickly, and kill or cure at a visit. We are 
obliged to pluck our fruit before it is ripe, that we may 
have something to send to market : in the harassing 
struggle of worldly wants, the painter cannot provide for 
the perfection of his Art, and that he may live himself, is 
obliged to commit a suicide upon his reputation. 

Modern philosophers have laboured hard to dislodge the 
poet and the painter from the elevated regions of inspira- 
tion, and place them on the general level of mental equality. 
They attempt, on a principle of education, to account for 
the eccentricities of Genius, and resolve all its phenomena 
into the simple power of attention. But however we may 
be disposed to doubt that it is the essence, we cannot deny 
that it is one of the most important attributes of this men- 
tal divinity ; for without powerful and persevering atten- 
tion, all other qualities are inert or ineffectual. Of this 
truth, the ancients were perfectly convinced, and the un- 
wearied industry with which they seconded the more 
celestial impulse of their Taste, was equally exemplary and 
successful. 

Polycletus spent his whole life in perfecting one statue, 
which from the faultless accuracy of its proportions, was 
honoured by the name of " the Canon.'* Protogenes em- 
ployed many years in painting a single figure of Jalysus ; 



318 ELEMENTS OF ART. 

Fame in your head, and ardour in your heart, 
Before you — Nature, and around you — Art. 

Tho' Genius rules a manor rich in mines, 
'Tis labour's iiand the precious ore refines; 



and VirgiJ, after having spent eleven years in composing 
the iEnied, desired in his will that it mia;ht be destroyed, as 
not sufficiently corrected for the public eye. 

The preparatory labours of the old masters in sketches, 
drawing, models, and every other expedient of study and 
improvement, have shewn, that they never drew upon their 
Genius for that which their industry could supply ; nor 
desired the praise of speed, when they could acquire that 
of skill. 

Whether we possess the power of attention in an equal 
degree with our predecessors in the cultivation of Art, may 
perhaps, be questioned, but there can be no doubt, that 
the practice of application was carried to a greater extent 
in former times. Very little observation may convince the 
unprejudiced mind, that it is not Genius or Taste that is 
wanting to modern Artists, but time and patronage : they 
have the strength of the ancients, but they have not the 
same inducements, nor the same opportunities to exert it ; 
and if the productions of the present age are inferior to 
those of the Greeks, it is because excellence is not excited 
by such powerful stimuli, nor pursued with such persever- 
ing application. 



CANTO FIFTH. 319 

That cuts and polishes each gem with care, 0,65 

And sets for wisdom, or for wit to wear. 

With toil intrepid then direct your aim, 
To reach the proudest eminence of fame ; 



Line 262. Before you — Nature, and around you — ArtJ\— 
The judicious painter will, as far as is consistent with his 
means, endeavour to collect around him some of the best 
examples of his Art. Pictures are to the Artist, what his 
library is to the man of letters ; they make him acquainted 
with the state of the country in which he is about to 
travel ; shew him what tracks have been already opened, 
and to what extent they have been pursued : they stimu- 
late his ardour, enlighten his judgment, and enlarge the 
stock of his ideas. 

But while the painter studies and admires the productions 
of great men, if he desires to equal, he will decline to imi- 
tate them. Johnson justly observes, that " no man was 
ever great by imitation." Imitation is a crutch upon 
which feebleness sometimes hobbles into notice, and he who 
would copy pictures rather than create them, may reason- 
ably distrust the vigour of his genius, and the value of his 
application. 

There is however, a mimickry in Art, as well as in life, 
and the manner of the pencil, like that of the person, is 
sometimes copied with perverted ingenuity. But he who 
pleases himself by putting on the graphic face of Rem- 



320 ELEMENTS OF ART. 

When sanguine first, with all our hopes unfuiTd, 

We mount this Andes of the moral world ; 270 

TV ascent seems easy, as in haste to rise, 

We, all impetuous, rush into the skies; 

But soon our speed is check'd, we pant, we blow, 

In spite of every effort — still below : 

While hooting crowds defeated folly hail, 275 

And ridicule re-echoes through the vale. 

Yet, while you shun this rash, unruly race, 
Avoid the tame, who creep a tardy pace ; 
The plodding herd ! who turn the graphic wheel,* 
With dog-trot diligence, and drousy zeal ; 280 



brandt, or Titian, or Rubens, or Reynolds^ should recol- 
lect that what is natural expression in the original, becomes 
grimace in the copyist ; and that although we may admit 
the resemblance, we consider it distortion. Such a prac- 
tice should at least be left as the refuge of those, who are 
incapable of higher efforts ; — should be consigned to the 
common creepers of the garden, who unable to rise by 



* Eight lines taken from this passage, and sixteen lines 
from the last Canto, were quoted by the Author in the 
Preface of his former publication. 



CANTO FIFTH* S21 

Who spend on petty cares their puny powers, 

And live to polish pores, and hairs, and flowers : 

Nature, indignant, spurns the servile race, 

The dull reflectors of her daily face ! 

Minutiae mongers ! microscopic wights ! 285 

Whom Denner captivates, and Dow delights. 

Fastidious toil oft frustrates its own ends, 
And coxcomb-like, punctiliously offends; 
To stiff, o'er-labour'd, or detail'd, to dry, 
Your pains appear, but strength and spirit fly, 290 



their own strength, fasten eagerly upon some lofty trunk 
of talent, and imagine they share in the vigour of its ele- 
vation, when they twine around its branches. 

Line 285. Minutice mongers ! microscopic wights /] — The 
vice of Art here spoken of, is almost unknown to the 
practice of the British School ; which perhaps, may be 
thought to display some propensity to the opposite defect. 
But though the laborious minuteness of German imitation 
is very generally reprobated by our painters, it is not with- 
out its advocates amongst our critics ; and there are many 
curious lovers of detail who are never so pleased with Art, 
as when all consideration of the whole is forgotten in a futil* 
attention to the parts. 

With this cast of connoisseurs, labour is never lost but 

Y 



322 ELEMENTS OF AKT. 

By cold correction pictures lose their fire, 
As criminals beneath the scourge expire. 



when it is concealed; tameness is truth, and minuteness 
merit : to be hard is to be accurate ; to be smooth is to 
be finished. 

As this Taste has many attractions for the vulgar, and is 
invariably adopted by those whose eyes are yet unopened 
by observation and comparison, its progress amongst us 
should be watched with vigilance, and opposed without re- 
serve ; for the true excellence of Art, has never, in any 
school, survived its establishment. Servility of imitation, is a 
kind of slavery, which suppresses all the energies of Genius, 
and destroys the noblest powers of the pencil. It is now 
ravaging France, in a revolution of Art, which has subju- 
gated the powers of Guerin and Girard, to the despotism of 
David : from the days of Albert Durer, downwards, it 
has laid waste the whole graphic surface of the German 
empire : with the laborious imbecility of Mengs, it emas- 
culated the noble spirit of Velasquez amongst the Spaniards ; 
and the last embers of Italian Genius were extinguished by 
its means, in the polished insipidity of Pompeo Battoni. 
That we have been preserved from its destructive influence 
in this country, must be in a great measure, attributed to 
Reynolds; for Hudson, Highmore, and Ashly, had not 
strength to resist its encroaches, and Ramsey if he could, 
would have established it. 

It is however, in his best works only, that Reynolds 



CAXTO FIFTH, 323 

With broader eye all trifling cares control, 
And study parts, subservient to the whole. 



affords a pure example of that happy medium of imitation, 
between vague indecision, and vulgar detail. His general 
style is perhaps, too loose and incorrect, as to design, for 
the safe observation of those, who have not judgment suffi- 
cient to discriminate between the merits and the defects of 
a great man. His picture of the Tragic Muse however, may 
be pointed out, as a model of that judicious imitation, which 
preserves the essential and the picturesque, without descend- 
ing to the trivial and the accidental : which is sufficiently 
general for grandeur, and sufficiently particular for truth : 
which produces breadth without baldness ; precision with- 
out hardness ; and spirit without ostentation. 

This work, in all the merits of execution, has perhaps 
never been surpassed : Barry in his letter to the Dilettanti 
Society, considers it " both as to the ideal and the execu- 
tion the finest picture of its kind in the the world." It 
presents the rare union of power and discretion ; of sensi- 
bility and science. The painter has taken from Nature, all 
that is necessary for Truth, and added from Genius, all 
that can be required by Taste. 

It exhibits a style of imitation calculated to give dignity 
to the humblest subject, and a tone of colouring appropri- 
ate to the most sublime. 

But, in rejecting the laboured littleness of style which is 
so incompatible with the genuine excellence of Art ; and 



324 ELEMENTS OF ART. 

Still as you paint, by chance suggested, rise 295 

Means unforeseen, and merits which surprise ; 



leaving all those who delight in detail, to work their minutiae 
miracles on fruit, flowers, and furniture, the English School 
have not only the authority of Reynolds, but the example 
of Titian, Correggio, Rembrandt, Rubens, and every other 
Artist who is worthy of consideration in the executive de- 
partment of painting. Those critics therefore, who so zeal- 
ously extol the polishers and japanners of the pencil, must 
in vain profess their admiration of those great masters, 
for they prove, that Avhatever compliments they, for the 
credit of their Taste, may be induced to pay to Titian, or 
Vandyke, their hearts are with Dow and with Denner. 

The style of English Art, in its best examples, is second 
only to that of the Venetian School ; and, may justly, hope 
to rival the noblest productions of the palette ; if it be not 
corrupted and depraved, by some vices of bad Taste, which 
it must be confessed, appear at present to be gaining ground 
amongst us. 

What therefore there may be of negligent and incorrect 
in our practice, let us labour to reform ; what there is of 
mannered and meretricious, let us study to suppress ; but 
not by substituting the mechanical servility of vulgar 
toil, for the liberal and graceful spirit of scientific imi- 
tation. 

Line 295. Still as yuu paint, by chance suggested, rise~] — 
Johnson observes, that u every great work is performed 



CANTO FIFTH. 325 

As wheels up steep ascents, impell'd with pain, 

But swifter roll spontaneous to the plain, 

Obstructions aid the force they first oppress, 

And failure, often, but foreruns success. 300 

Fruits unexpected spring from patient toil, 

Like buried gold discover'd in the soil ; 

The pencil's charms in broken beauty rise, 

And surface sweets that skill and feeling prize. 

Yet, as the purest natures taint of sin, 305 

And virtue's self, to vice is near akin, 
In painting, thus, to faults perfections lead, 
And errors grow on merits run to seed, 



by a combination of art and chance." Reynolds says also, 
that (i it is a great matter to be in the way of accident." 
We should indeed, much more frequently hear of the assist- 
ance derived from this important ally, were it not for the 
vanity of skill, which scorns to confess its obligations to 
such an associate. In all our exploits, we are ambitious of 
being thought the sole agents : we would have every thing 
considered as the inspiration of our genius, or the result of 
our sagacity : as having been planned by our prudence, and 
performed by our strength. 

If every great Artist, in poetry and painting, in politics 



3%6 ELEMENTS OF ART. 

To hard, the firm and steady pencil tends, 

The light and flowing, oft, in flimsy ends ; 310 

If careful — tame ; inaccurate, if free ; 

If dextrous — manner'd, in the next degree; 

Extremes, alike, in either hue behold, 

Hot — in the golden, in the silvery — cold ; 

and war, were to point out to our observation, those parts 
of his success, which resulted from the influence of this 
common contributor, we should perhaps, find it most busy 
where we least suspected its operation ; and the historian 
and the critic, would be spared much deep sagacity of con- 
jecture and ingenious refinement of elucidation. 

But this is a disclosure, which the pride of Genius and 
the discretion of Science will alike refuse, and the divers of 
politics and taste, will always be permitted to plunge into 
the depths of design and deliberation, in search of those 
causes, which often lie exposed upon the surface of ac- 
cident. 

It would perhaps, be prejudicial to display the full ope- 
ration of this agent, lest we should weaken the confidence 
of skill, and discredit the influence of knowledge. It is 
generally most in our favour, when we are most inde- 
pendant of its assistance — it must come uncalled, and act 
unsolicited. The judicious Artist will accept, but will not 
seek its aid, for though the system that excludes its sug- 
gestions may be the most certain it never will be the most 
successful. 



CANTO FIFTH. 327 

Faithful to parts — a fritter'd whole we find ; 315 

If mass'd and general — vague, and undefined. 

Wherever merit's tender shoots expand, 

Some kindred vice luxuriates near at hand ; 

With the wild vigour of a weed invades 

The healthful flower, that sickens in its shades. 320 



CANTO SIXTH. 



ARGUMENT. 

Difficulty of avoiding extremes in art — advantages resulting 
from the candid opinion of friends, and even the severity 
of foes — weakness of allowing ourselves to be irritated by 
the malevolence of criticism — right of the public, accord- 
ing to their judgment, to pay the painter and the poet in 
censure or in praise — our powers often over-rated by our 
own prejudices — difficulty of forming a just estimate of 
our own merit, arising from the suggestions of Vanity 
and the partialities of friendship — the number of victims 
to these delusions; and the propriety of distrusting par- 
tial praise — allusion to those who affect to please only 
the judicious few — Apostrophe to the public judgment as 
the final and impartial tribunal of Taste — the various 
kinds of culprits tried at this awful bar — the general 
justice of its decisions, in spite of the quackeries of party 
and fashion which may prevail for a time to influence 
its proceedings — the Student counselled to beware of 
aiming at premature reputation — warned not to disgrace 

the character of an Artist by the low passions of envy 

the sons of Genius urged to unite, and make common 
cause against the persecutions of pride, dulness, and 
avarice — the painter recommended to select a subject for 
his pencil, which shall be moral as well as picturesque — 
two subjects from ancient history proposed — the history 
of our own country recommended to the illustration of 
the patriot pencil — allusion to the various glories of 
Britain, her sages, heroes, and bards — supposition of the 
wondrous works, to which similar subjects of celebration 
would have given rise in the ancient world — propriety 



[ 330 ] 

of paying public honours to living virtue as well as of 
commemorating departed heroism— hope expressed that 
Britain will not allow herself to be surpassed in the pa- 
cific glories of the Arts — agency of the Arts essential in 
creating and preserving the best renown of nations — - 
prophecy of the future triumphs of Taste in Britain, when 
on the restoration of peace, her princes and statesmen 
shall be impressed with the policy and liberality, of stimu- 
lating and protecting the genius of their country — the 
Author's closing address to the young votaries of Taste ; 
recommending the dedication of their powers to the 
higher pursuits of Art — warning them against the prosti- 
tution of the pencil to the purposes of immorality — re- 
minding them of the ancient dignity of their profession ; 
and exhorting them by a noble and patriotic application 
of their talents, to celebrate the glories, excite the admi- 
ration, and deserve the protection of their country. 



[ 331 ] 



CANTO VI. 



Honos alit artes, omnesque incenduntur ad studia gloria. 

Cicero. 



15 ET W E E N extremes, on either side we stray, 

Where Taste and Feeling only, find the way ; 

But, as in narrow seas, the pilot's care 

Looks watchful round for every beacon there, 

So, in the straits of Taste, judicious zeal 5 

Observes the lights that candid friends reveal: 

Ev'n foes befriend, when in our faults, severe, 

They lash the only foes we ought to fear, 

Their focus magnifies, and clearly shews 

What friendship can't descry, or won't disclose. 10 

Let surly censors rail, without offence, 
Forgive the satire, when you feel the sense, 



332 ELEMENTS OF ART. 

Mark where they rage, and what is wrong remove, 
You take a proud revenge — when you improve. 
Praise may be flattery, ignorance, or fear, 15 

But censure's voice is commonly sincere ; 
And they who best a sharp reproof endure, 
Will, in the caustic, often find a cure. 

'Tis weak to let your indignation warm, 
Tho' blockheads brew around the critic storm ; £0 
And roughly treated in the gale, you brave 
The utmost fury of the fool and knave : 
As well, the sea-worn sailor might complain 
Of rocks and sands, and tempests on the main : 
Such is the common lot of all who choose, £5 

From life's dull track, to wander with the Muse. 

Who print, or paint, the public right proclaim, 
To pay in censure, what they seek in fame ; 



Line 25. Such is the common lot of all who choose] — The 
fear of criticism, like the fear of death, is salutary to a 
certain extent : as the one is the protector of our physical, 
so the other is the guardian of our intellectual safety ; 
and while they produce caution without cowardice, they 
act as a proper restraint upon ignorance and temerity. 



CANTO SIXTH. 333 

A legal tender each, all records join, 

To prove the creditor can't choose his coin. 30 

The brilliant sun that on Parnassus plays, 

In light and shade of censure and of praise, 



But it is difficult, in either case, to keep our apprehen- 
sions within due bounds ; and as fear is the most debilitat- 
ing of all passions, the powers of many a hero in arts and 
in arms, have fallen a sacrifice to terrors, which are neither 
to be overcome nor excused. 

How many, at this moment, stand trembling on the 
shores of criticism, who, with vigour to rise superior to the 
storm, still hesitate to encounter all its perils ! How many, 
qualified like Columbus, to explore a passage to undisovered 
regions of knowledge, yet steer timorously by the old charts, 
and dread to quit the common tracks of Taste ! 

(i Thus criticism makes cowards of us all." 
The critic is the nightmare of Genius, that haunts his ima- 
gination, disturbs his dreams, and sits heavy on his hopes. 
The critic is a despot that regards originality as an insur- 
rection against established law, and suppresses even the 
desire of glory in the apprehension of disgrace. 

What has been the fruit of criticism in all ages ? — servi- 
lity and imitation. The noblest productions of the human 
mind have, in every country, preceded the establishment of 
its influence. Genius produces critics, but is never pro- 
duced by them : they follow submissively in the track of a 



334 ELEMENTS OF ART. 

Will not direct its ray at our command, 

Or gild the spot where we may chance to stand : 

Yet tho* cold-shivering in the shade you stare, 85 

To see some coxcomb basking in the glare, 



great man, and turn round arrogantly, to intercept the pro- 
gress of those who have the spirit to surpass him. 

Criticism promotes mediocrity, and impedes excellence; 
it exposes faults, but cannot inspire beauties ; and while it 
cultivates the judgment, represses the genius of a people. 

But if this be the effect of criticism, when it is most li- 
beral and enlightened, what must be its operation when it 
is most prejudiced and uninformed ! When, as in the 
Arts, it assumes all the airs of authority without the claims 
of knowledge, and is presumptuous in proportion as it is 
superficial. 

In literature, the public taste is commonly directed by 
persons who have some pretensions to be heard upon the 
subject : they are almost always, professors or proficients, 
in the art of which they speak ; and often, in their powers 
of performance, vindicate their right to judge. The poet, 
the historian, and the philosopher, are generally tried by 
their peers ; who, although they may be sometimes tainted 
with the jealousy of competition, must, at least, be acknow- 
ledged to understand the case, and to have a common in- 
terest in the establishment of sound principles, and pure 
Taste. 

But in the Arts, every man is a critic except the Artist; 



CANTO SIXTH, 335 

Desert may still console him mid the gloom, 
The tardy beam will shine — upon his tomb. 

But oft deceived, the tasteless age we blame, 
And doubt the judgment that denies us fame ; 40 



and any man may come forward to direct the public judg- 
ment, except him who is the best qualified for that office. 

In literature, the scholar considers it as no impeach- 
ment of his liberality, to review with vigilance the pro- 
ductions of his rivals ; to expose their faults without 
ceremony, and their mistakes without commiseration : 
nor age, nor sex finds mercy at his hands, if, in the pleni. 
tude of his critical authority, he thinks, that reproof is ne- 
cessary or just. He even claims credit for his activity, and 
considers himself, as a meritorious guardian of the public 
Taste. But the Artist, it seems, cannot be allowed a simi- 
lar privilege : if he steps forward to expose the errors of 
imbecility, or the artifices of imposture; he is envious, illi- 
beral and malevolent : though every vice of the pencil 
should rage around him, he must not interfere to preserve 
the purity of Art from the contagion, or rescue the public 
Taste from imposition and depravation. 

The poet may scrutinize and contest the claims of his 
contemporaries : he may open a masked battery upon his 
brother bard — strike him with the sword of sarcasm, or 
discharge all the arrows of acrimony from the quiver of 



336 ELEMENTS OF ART. 

When haply, some less partial eye than ours, 
May see that prejudice o'er-rates our powers. 
The soundest judge of human merit known, 
Is he, who justly estimates his own, 



criticism : all is fair notwithstanding, and if he can display 
his wit or his ingenuity, his liberality is neyer called in 
question. But the painter is expected to be all meekness 
and submission ; to preserve his character for candour, he 
must cry bravo ! to every blockhead in his profession, and 
behold the quack and the coxcomb puffed into pre-emi- 
nence, without a murmur of disapprobation or discontent. 

Yet, why is that censurable in Art, which is laudable in 
Literature ? Is the painter less sensible than the poet to 
the interests of Taste ? is it of less consequence to him, or to 
his country, that the public judgment should be pure or per- 
verted — that the court of general opinion, should be compe- 
tent to distinguish truth from falsehood — the just claims of 
Genius from the fraudulent pretensions of Vanity ? 

It has been said however, when the painter has ventured 
to reprove publicly the offenders of his profession, that he 
should display by his pencil the true principles of his Art ; 
and oppose the prevalence of a bad Taste, by the example 
of a better. This argument however, applies not more for- 
cibly to the painter than the poet, and to every other can- 
didate for public favour ; if it be just indeed, it strikes at 
the root of all criticism ; unless that Art be left entirely in 
the hands of those who are least qualified to exercise it, 



CANTO SIXTH. 33J 

Who drawing vanity's deep veil aside, 45 

Surmounting passion, and dispelling pride, 
Thro' self-love's magnifying mist defined, 
Can take the true dimensions of his mind : 



and who have so long used it, as a means of repressing, 
rather than improving the human faculties. 

In matters of Taste, the public is a child that must be in- 
structed by precept as well as example. Taste is something 
like chess, we cannot become proficients by looking on : the 
principles of the game must be explained, or the best play 
is lost upon the spectator. Milton's sublime picture of 
Paradise Lost, hung, for a long time, unnoticed in the 
exhibition of the press, till Addison pointed out its beau- 
ties. Settle was the rival of Dryden, till that great poet 
taught the public by his precepts, how to judge of his ex- 
ample. 

If the public Taste is more enlightened in poetry, than 
in painting ; it is because, in the one, poets have performed 
the duty of critics, and in the other, critics have performed 
the duty of painters. If the general judgment with respect 
to Art, is less refined in this country, than perhaps, in any 
other highly civilized country of Europe, it is, because the 
state of public criticism is at the lowest ebb of ignorance 
and venality — because all praise has degenerated to puffing, 
and all reproof to personality — because, of those who are 
most qualified and interested, to diffuse just notions of excel- 
lence and sound principles of Taste, some are restrained 



338 ELEMENTS OF ART. 

But hard the task ! mistaken friends conspire, 
In blindfold league, to baffle our desire ; 50 

Thro* their false medium seen, what merits rise ! 
Our pigmy powers appear of giant size, 



through diffidence; some, silent through timidity, and 
others negligent from disgust. 

In this general desertion from the service, the interests 
of Art are left to the officious interference of those who 
disregard as much as they degrade them. Every scribbler, 
who can get possession of the critical corner in a news- 
paper or a magazine, draws his redoubtable pen upon the 
painters ; lays down the law with ludicrous absurdity, and 
delivers his decisions with ridiculous arrogance. Merit neg- 
lects and is libelled by him : the quack courts him and is 
eulogized. All the reptiles of Taste crawl around those 
self-appointed dispensers of reputation, to catch an occasi- 
onal crum of panegyric, and share in the puff of the day. 

The public read their effusions without respect, but also 
without knowledge : they are therefore impressed by their 
confidence, because they do not perceive their pre- 
sumption. 

The voice of the few who have taste and integrity, whose 
praise would gratify, and whose censure might amend, has 
but little influence in counteracting this general corruption 
of critical morality : it is unheard in the echoes of partial 
admiration, or drowned in the clamours of virulent abuse. 

Thus, are the best interests of the Artist and the Art, 



CANTO SIXTH. 339 

Till giddy in their flattering glass we gaze, 
And self-enamoured, deck our brows with bays. 

There's not a blockhead on the brink of shame, 55 
But has his little atmosphere of fame ; 



sacrificed to the capricious or corrupt motives of those, who 
neither study nor understand them ; and so little enlight- 
ened is the public judgment on this subject, that beyond a 
small circle of sensibility and information, the qualities and 
claims of British Genius are as unknown as they are disre- 
garded. Even the merits of Reynolds, cannot be said to be 
sufficiently esteemed or acknowledged, out of the sphere of 
his profession. His radiance has not yet penetrated the 
dense fog that hangs upon the public Taste ; and although, 
to the honour of his brother Artists, they applauded his 
genius while he lived, as much as they revere his memory 
now that he is no more ; nevertheless, the mass of his coun- 
trymen, even amongst those who are called enlightened, 
have yet to learn, that a British Artist has rivalled the best 
age of painting, in some of the .most arduous qualities of 
Art — has equalled Titian in colouring, and surpassed him 
in grace. 

Numerous indeed, are the instances, which might be 
pointed out, of the want of intelligent and impartial criti- 
cism, to direct the public mind in the Arts, and do justice 
to the genius of the country. The degree to which the 
powers even of those who appear to stand high in public 



340 ELEMENTS OF ART, 

Some petty circle, where he shines on high, 

A fancied Phoebus, bright in Folly's eye! 

To this delusion victims, past redress, 

What numbers curse the pencil, and the press! 60 



estimation, are sometimes misconceived and undervalued, 
must very effectually convince the Artist, that, in the words 
of, the poet, he is "condemned in Art to drudge," not 
u without a rival but without a judge." The claims of the 
present President of the Academy are not more generally 
understood than those of his predecessor, and his merits 
have been as inadequately appreciated as they have been 
rewarded by the public* Notwithstanding the large space 
which he fills in his Art, and although, his brethren have 
justly and honourably placed him at their head, he has good 
ground of complaint, against the undiscriminating criticism 
of his day, and may be said to be, in a great degree u de- 
frauded of his fame." Posterity will see him in his merits 
as well as his defects ; will regard him as a great Artist, 
whose powers place him high in the scale of elevated Art ; 



* What will be thought of the protection and encourage- 
ment afforded to Genius in this great and wealthy empire, 
when it is stated, that the unremitting exertions of this dis- 
tinguished Artist, in the higher department of painting, 
during the period of forty-eight years, (almost half a cen- 
tury), have not, exclusive of his Majesty's patronage, .pro- 
duced to him the sum of six thousand pounds ! ! 1 



CANTO SIXTH* 341 

In wit's worst plight, before the public placed, 
And pelted by the populace of Taste ! 

Too oft, alas ! our friends' applauses rise, 
Like fames of incense at a sacrifice ; 



whose pencil has maintained with dignity the historic pre- 
tensions of his age, and whose best compositions would do 
honour to any school or country. 

The painter, in laying his productions before the public, 
has certainly, but little reason to expect, that he shall expe- 
rience, either enlightened praise or instructive reprehen- 
sion. A few Connoisseurs and Artists, may perhaps, 
feel and confess his claims, but in the general perversion 
and incompetence of criticism, he is doomed, either to 
blush beneath the u pound brush" panegyric of some inju- 
dicious friend, or to suffer under the wholesale censure and 
unmerited malevolence of a foe. 

Thus, praise loses all value in reward, and reproof alt 
virtue in amendment: misplaced applause cannot en- 
courage him who is its object, and unjust censure will not 
correct him. 

Works, which demand the detailed examination of Sci- 
ence, and the deliberate decision of Taste, are dispatched 
in a paragraph of flippant animadversion, and pass off in a 
puff or a sarcasm. The sleeping Nymph and Cupid by 
Hoppner ; the colossal picture of Satan calling his legions 



342 ELEMENTS OF ART. 

Reject the wreaths thus offered to your eye, 65 

As flowers that deck the victim doom'd to die. 
Nor think, in Friendship's partial voice you hear 
The general sanction sounding in your ear. 

But some affect to bound their wiser view, 
And trust their cause to the judicious few, 70 

They seek no praise that's echoed by the crowd, 
And hold that Fame herself may talk too loud : 



by Laurence, and the Shipwreck by Turner ; though 
works which have surpassed the most applauded efforts 
of living Genius in every other country of Europe, and 
which display, a degree of excellence, that would have been 
sufficient to establish the reputation of those eminent Artists 
even in the proudest period of their Art ; excited less at- 
tention from the literary critics of the day, than is bestowed 
on the appearance of a fresh imported figurante at the Opera 
house, or a new tumbler at Sadler's Wells I 

After the fate of Barry, and the more recent example of 
Fuseli, in the Milton gallery, (an enterprise of Art, to the 
spirit and magnanimity of which, the Author is happy to 
bear an impartial though unimportant testimony), what 
Artist can be expected to devote himself to any great moral 
or political undertaking of the pencil ? Such exertions as the 
great room in the Adelphi and the Milton gallery have dis- 
played, were never before made by unprotected individu- 



CANTO SIXTH. 343 

Let them enjoy her whispers, if they will, 

While you her loudest trumpet try to fill; 

And recognize no title to renown, 75 

Till public judgment has decreed the crown. 



als in any country. Were Raphael and Michael Angelo to 
arise amongst us, where would they find a patron or a 
palace to stimulate and employ their powers ? Their 
Frescos and their Cartoons, would in vain solicit the eye 
or the attention of the public, and if they could not manu- 
facture furniture-pictures or portraits, familiar scenes or 
flowers, they would be left in the honourable gloom of 
poverty and neglect, to exercise for their own amusement, 
the moral and intellectual qualities of their art ; without a 
hope of commendation from the criticism, or encourage- 
ment from the liberality of the age ! 

How many other striking examples, drawn from the va- 
rious merits of the time, might be adduced, to prove the 
total want of science in public criticism, and sensibility 
in public taste ; if the Author could be persuaded that 
his commendation would be of consequence sufficient to 
gratify the feelings of his brother Artists, or do justice to 
those powers, which are not more the object of his compe- 
tition, than his admiration ! 

Line 76. Till public judgment has decreed the crown.~\ — 
Though many and melancholy have been the examples of 
neglected merit in modern days, and though public favour 
is often seduced for a time, by artifice and presumption, 



344 ELEMENTS OF AET. 

August tribunal ! at whose bar with awe, 
E'en Genius bows — obedient to the law ! 
Grand inquest of the world of wit, and art ! 
Without appeal, supreme, in every part ! 80 



from the arms of Genius and Virtue ; yet, we should take 
care, how we suffer to be weakened, that salutary respect 
for the general judgment, which those who are the objects 
of it should always entertain. 

Men of genius, it is true, are often neglected ; but every 
man that is neglected, must not regard himself as a man of 
genius. Imbecility must not " lay that flattering unction 
to his soul," nor suffer his vanity to delude him with the 
notion, that he is a victim to the insensibility of his age. 
He is always ridiculous, who, disregarded by the public, 
struggles to cover his mortification under an affected con- 
tempt for that judgment, which he would extol if it were 
given in his favour. 

No man is, in his heart, indifferent to public opinion ; 
for notwithstanding its errors and delusions, its caprices 
and perversions, to fix it on our side, must always be our 
noblest incentive, and our most flattering reward. How- 
ever it may vibrate in the unavoidable concussions of 
fashion and folly, it is sure in the end, to settle at the right 
point ; and although, life may pass away in the unfavour- 
able oscillation of Taste, we had better endeavour to cor- 
rect, than pretend to despise it. 

The appetite of the public between the artist and the 



CANTO STXTH. 345 

What culprits there of every cast and tribe, 

The hue and cry of satire can describe ; 

Provoke their fate in our flagitious times, 

And swell the critics' calender of crimes ! 

What libellers of Nature's works endure 85 

The utmost rigours of the connoisseur ! 

What painters fall, no patron can relieve ! 

What poets cast for death, without reprieve ! 

What scribblers pardoned once resume the pen, 

Forbearance brave, and rashly rhyme again, 90 

From wit's high-ways, what sturdy vagrants chased ! 

And caught by vigilant patroles of Taste ! 

In stocks of ridicule their stars accuse, 

Or suffer flagellation in reviews ! 

Dull rogues, whose pens, themselves alone expose, 95 

Committing petty larceny in prose, 

Clapt in the bridewell of translation sit, 

And beat, for booksellers, the hemp of wit. 

critic, is like that of the individual, between the cook and 
the physician : if the one is more seductive to poison, than 
the other is skilful to cure, the palate will soon become 
vitiated, and the general constitution impaired : yet in 
neither case, should we despair of the patient ; but rather, 
seek jnore judicious prescriptions, and less pernicious 
food. 



346 ELEMENTS OF ART, 

Yet undismay'd ! though sad examples rise, 
Ambition braves all dangers for the prize ; 100 



Line 100. Ambition braves all dangers for the prize;"] — 
When the evils of failure are compared with the advanta- 
ges of success, it is extraordinary, that so many are found 
willing to embark on the perilous enterprizes of Taste and 
Literature. What can the most brilliant genius propose to 
himself at present in these pursuits, as the adequate reward 
of unremitting toil and inexhaustible anxiety ? Is it fortune ? 
The humblest talents are more lucrative — the meanest 
calling more secure. u II n'y a point d'art si mechanique, 
ni de si vile condition, ou les avantages ne soient plussurs, 
plus prompt, et plus solide."* Is it fame? alas! that is 
still less within the grasp of ambition. For profit he con- 
tends only with the living, but for praise he must struggle 
also with the dead ; and the ghost of departed Genius 
rises up, like that of Banquo to Macbeth, to thrust him 
from the stool of reputation. 

u Pascitur in vivis Livor: post fata quiescit.' , 
Genius for life at law, puts in his claim, 
And prosecutes the chancery suit of fame ; 
Yet while he lives altho' the court denies, 
The master Time awards it — when he dies. 
The powerful propensity towards the Arts, which operates 



* La Bruyere. 



CANTO SIXTH. 347 

He knows the court inclines to mercy's side, 
And puts him on his country to be tried. 

Though merit in the race of fame may fail, 
The quack still cross him, and the puff prevail ; 



on some minds, may indeed be said to be a species of fasci- 
nation. We cannot resist their allurement, though we are 
certain to be the victims of our devotion. But there is 
something in the chase, which compensates for the precari- 
ousness of the prize ; and if an attachment to the Muses 
diminishes our chance of wealth, it also lessens our desire 
for it. Taste is, perhaps, the best corrective of avarice ; 
and that probably, is one reason why, in commercial states^ 
it is so little esteemed. 

The Muse and Mammon cannot be worshipped at the 
same altar. A love for the Arts excludes all grosser passions 
from the soul. Taste is the Angel that drives the money 
changers out of the temple of Mind, and leaves it to the 
possession of every human virtue. 

They who in the present age, pay their addresses to the 
Arts, are certainly, the most disinterested of all suitors : 
painters and poets indeed, maybe considered the true dra- 
matis personae in the " All for Love, or the World well 
lost," of real life. The Muses have been commonly por- 
tionless in all countries, but here, they are not only without 
a penny, but an expectation. In other times they could 
at least boast of a reversion of respect on the attainment of 



348 ELEMENTS OF ART. 

Though party zeal a moment may engage, 105 

And fashion thrust some fool upon the stage ; 
Some lucky dunce, who struts with braggart air, 
And wonders, in his heart, how he came there ! 
Yet judgment comes at last, to check his course, 
And put the penalties of Taste in force ; 110 

Unmasks the cheat usurping merit's mien, 
While Sense reviving hoots him from the scene. 

Court then the public wreath, but do not aim 
To shoot by sudden effort into fame ; 
Fruit of life's autumn ! fame's a tardy boon, 1 15 

That's always blighted, when it blows loo soon. 



merit, but now, there is hardly a contingency of honour or 
emolument in the career of Literature and Art. 

The prudent parent weeps over the fate of his child who 
yields to the infatuation of Taste : he regards him as cut off 
from all hopes of wealth and consequence, and condemned 
to pine out a life of disregarded toil in penury and disap- 
pointment. 

Line 115. Fruit of life's autumn ! fame' 's a tardy boon^] 
— Premature fame is dangerous in all Arts ; but in painting 
it is particularly pernicious : it unsettles our ideas of excel- 
lence, and disturbs our steadiness of application : it checks 



CANTO SIXTH. 349 

The crop that ripens early, oft displays 
But forward feebleness, and fading bays. 
Observe, you'll find, 'tis prudent Nature's plan, 
Through all her works, plant, animal, or man, 120 



us on the ascent, to persuade us that we are on the sum- 
mit ; and few can proceed again with the same ardour, 
when they have discovered the mistake. 

He who obtains early, and with little effort, what others 
can hope to derive only from long and arduous perseve- 
rance, will readily suppose himself a superior being ; and 
soon relax in those exertions, which are necessary, not only 
to gain new ground, but to keep that which he has already 
occupied. 

The history of the Arts affords many examples of those, 
who have fallen a sacrifice to that vanity and presumption, 
which always result from a reputation too early to be me- 
rited, and too sudden to be safe. 

While the fancied prodigy exults in admiration of the 
little palace of panegyric in which he is placed, the struc- 
ture totters at the first touch of Time, and levels in its fall, 
both his powers and his hopes. 

There is a particular description of connoisseurs, who 
seem to take great pleasure in catching precocious ability in 
those traps of reputation. Having a general hostility to 
established merit, they are ever on the watch for a won- 
der or a prodigy ; and as they make use of the dead to de- 
preciate the genius of the living, so, they raise up the young 



350 ELEMENTS OF ART. 

That each, proportion'd to its size and worth, 
Should quicken long, and labour into birth ; 
By slow degrees, to full perfection rise, 
As time maturing, sap and strength supplies. 

Let no vain prodigy your spleen excite, 125 

Though swift ascending in a rocket flight, 
The mob's meridian he may gain, and raise, 
In vulgar minds, the fever heat of praise : 
But should a star of steady ray appear, 
That glows with innate lustre from its sphere, 130 
Be you the first its splendours to proclaim, 
And place it in the galaxy of fame. 

Scorn the low passions which the Muse disgrace, 
And stamp her sons an irritable race; 
Nor e'er to self-stung jealousy submit, 135 

That mental fiend, that pest of love and wit ! 



Artist, only for the purpose of putting down the old. 
As soon as this end is answered, the prodigy is sup- 
pressed in his turn : and his patrons, like faithless lovers, 
having seduced him by flattery from honest application, 
desert him without ceremony or remorse. 

These graphic gallants often effect the ruin of modest 



CANTO SIXTH. 351 

Which still with rancour of a rival heare, 

Marks him a foe, and slanders while she fears. 

In open, honest emulation claim 

The palm of excellence, the prize of fame; 140 

Un blamed the glorious contest, though you try, 

A friend, or e'en a father to outvie ; 

But banish envy as a baleful guest, 

The meanest, basest passion of the breast ; 

Which like the serpent brood in Sin's foul womb, 145 

Still gnaws the wretch's heart, who gives it room ; 

To its own shame each tortured sense employs, 

Corrodes his peace, and poisons all his joys. 

Where Envy sways, no virtue long survives, 
Beneath that deadly night-shade nothing thrives: 150 
No generous feeling can put forth a flower, 
Nor Taste withstand its sterilizing power. 

The sons of Genius, like the Jews, we trace, 
In every clime, a kind of outcast race ; 



merit, and credulous inexperience : they are a kind of cri- 
tical debauchees^ who prowl around in all the purlieus of 
Taste to deflower the virginity of Genius. 



352 ELEMENTS OF ART. 

That prudence fears and flies, that fortune spurns, 155 

And pride and folly persecute by turns : 

For Mammon's sordid ministry unfit, 

And hated for the heresy of wit ; 

Their pious zeal, the sects of dulness shew, 

And all combine against the common foe. 160 

Thus by an host assail'd, the tribes of mind, 

Apollo's chosen people of mankind! 

Should stand united in their own defence, 

The steady guards of Virtue, Taste, and Sense ; [own, 

One common cause, their heads, their hearts should 

Nor madly point the shafts by malice thrown ; 166 

To pride and dulness, worth's strong hold betray, 

And 'gainst themselves their frantic passions play ; 



Line 170. And' gainst themselves their frantic passions play {] 
— Poets have long been described as an irritable race 
" genus irritabile vatum," and it is to be feared, that in the 
present day, there is some disposition to extend that cha- 
racter to painters also. 

The justice of the imputation however, may in both 
cases be questioned. If the contentions of poets and pain- 
ters, appear to be more frequent and violent, than those of 
any other class or calling ; it is, because they are more 
public, and consequently more noticed. 

The quarrels of Parnassus are exposed to every eye, and 



CANTO SIXTH. 353 

Like ships in gales, that running foul, perform 

The winds worst rage, and aggravate the storm. 170 

Now choose some noble theme in which conspire, 
All action's energy, and passion's fire, 



as they are generally conducted with more wit and less 
bloodshed, than most other contests, they seldom fail to 
attract the curiosity, and contribute to the amusement, of 
the lower regions of civilized life. The dull dissensions of 
other professions excite no interest, and pass off without 
observation : but if they are less public, they are not less 
prevalent ; and though they are less entertaining, they are 
not less acrimonious. 

Lawyers, divines, and physicians, may indulge them, 
selves for years, in all the virulent varieties of legal, cleri- 
cal, and medical animosity, and the public suffer them to 
fight it out, without any disposition to attend, or attempt 
to interfere; but the sparrings of the Muses are interesting 
to all the amateurs of intellectual pugilism : the arena of 
taste is always crowded with curiosity, for whatever may 
be the cause of the quarrel, the combat is sure to be pro- 
ductive of sport. 

It might be supposed however, that the little bickerings 
of a body of Artists, could not supply a very amusing sub- 
ject of general attention ; and that an occasional disagree- 
ment might arise amongst them, respecting the management 

A A 



354 ELEMENTS OF ART* 

Where not alone to please the curious eye, 

Mere mimic toils, shall barren bliss supply ; 

But strong example may with Art combine, 175 

And moral strike in each instructive line. 

Pour'd from your hand, let ancient story flow, 

And Brutus breathing on your canvas glow ; 

Not he, who stain'd with Caesar's blood his fame, 

And in the assassin sunk the patriot's name, 180 



of a public Institution, which they are allowed the exclu- 
sive honour of maintaining by their labours, without occa- 
sioning the imputation of a contentious propensity beyond 
the ordinary measure of human frailty. But we find, that 
the sons of Taste, are not allowed the common privileges 
of corporative sensibility. The smallest indication of com- 
motion amongst them excites very general surprise and ani- 
madversion ; and they, who are by no means solicitous to 
contribute to their good humour, by administering the effi- 
cacious sweetners of encouragement and kindness, are the 
first to condemn their irritability, and cry out in a very 
complimentary amazement, 

Tantaene animis ccelestibus irae ! 

It must be confessed indeed, that whatever neglect the 
public may shew to their interests, their disputes are fa- 
voured with a degree of attention, which is very flattering 
to their importance at least, if not to their reputation. 

Line 182. And in the assassin sunk the patriot's name,~] — 
In mentioning thus irreverently, the celebrated character 



CANTO SIXTH, 355 

But chaste Lucretia's bold avenger, he, 
Who fired by friendship — burning to be free, 
High raised the reeking point — to heaven address'd, 
Warm from the wound in outraged beauty's breast, 



here alluded to, the Author fears, he may be thought to 
offend against that sacred spirit of liberty, of which Brutus 
has been so long considered, as having furnished in the act 
above censured, one of the most illustrious examples. The 
rigid genius of republicanism rises to vindicate the virtue 
of her son, and the shade of an immortal bard appears to 
frown indignant upon his presumption, who dares to dis- 
pute the glory of the hero who rose 

" Refulgent from the stroke of Caesar's fate." 

Akenside. 
But notwithstanding the_ honours which poetry and patri- 
otism have combined to confer upon the ancient Roman, 
the Author (though he confesses himself to be one of those 
who hold the cause of freedom firmly to their heart), could 
never admire the conduct of the younger Brutus in this in- 
stance, considering it with reference either to the man or 
the patriot. 

That kind of public virtue is surely but little worthy of 
esteem, which begins with ingratitude and ends in assassi- 
nation : which shakes off the inconvenient shackles of 
common morality ; and triumphs in the desolation of all 
those feelings which humanize the heart of man, and which 
seem to have been supplied by Nature, as the necessary 



356 ELEMENTS OF ART. 

In bursting rage his smother'd soul betray'd, 185 

And damn'd proud Tarquin to the infernal shade. 
By magic powers revived, again he glows, 
Again denounces freedom's — virtue's foes, 
Assumes once more the hero's — patriot's part, 
And strikes new terrors to the tyrant's heart. 190 

Or give to view Virginia, luckless maid ! 
TV slavery doom'd, and brutal lust betray'd : , 



corrective of passions, which would otherwise render him 
unpitying and ferocious. 

When a people have become so degraded, as to submit 
to the despotism of an individual, the stroke that levels the 
tyrant, will not destroy the tyranny. Men seldom become 
slaves till they are unworthy to be free : till all the nobler 
virtues of society are expelled as Utopian and impractica- 
ble, and servility and venality have tainted the human cha- 
racter to the core. The patriot who grasps the poniard 
instead of the sword, is not much to be depended on ; and 
he who will stab his friend for the public advantage, will 
not hesitate to stab his foe for his own. 

To sanction assassination, under any circumstances, is to 
furnish a pretext for atrocities, as inconsistent with liberty, 
as incompatible with public happiness. It is to let loose 
upon society the worst of human passions, treachery, cow- 
ardice, and revenge ; and to facilitate their operations, by 



CANTO SIXTH. 357 

The father paint, a rigid, Roman soul ! 

A Stoic, spurning Nature's strong controul ! 



covering them with the mask of patriotism and the cloak 
of public virtue. 

Richardson, in his account of pictures and statues in 
Italy, mentions an unfinished bust of Brutus, by Michael 
Angelo, upon which appeared the following inscription 
from the pen of Cardinal Bembo : 

" Dum Bruti effigiem sculptor de marmore ducit, 
" In mentem sceleris venit, et abstinuit. ,, 

Line 193. Or give to view Virginia, luckless maid /"] — The 
subjects from ancient history which have been mentioned 
in the text, are not recommended as new to the pencil, for 
they have been often painted; but are alluded to, as illus- 
trative of those qualities, which the Author conceives, will 
always be exhibited with most impression on the graphic 
scene. 

A great work in painting or poetry, should be conducted 
with a view to moral effect, as well as to rational amusement : 
trifles in both Arts, may be allowed to be uninstructive, 
provided they are innocently entertaining : but he who 
spends much time and much toil, in the completion of a 
work, which inculcates no moral truth, strengthens no re- 
ligious impression, and promotes no patriotic virtue, what- 
ever may be the amusive captations of his skill, must be 
considered, as misemploying his powers, and neglecting a 



358 ELEMENTS OF ART. 

Who to his daughter's life preferr'd her fame, 195 
And gave her death, to rescue her from shame. 



noble opportunity of rendering the pleasures of Taste sub- 
servient to the principles of utility. 

When we reflect, how completely the independence and 
reputation of a state, depend upon its public spirit and 
morality, it is surprising, that any means should be neg- 
lected, which might operate to preserve and purify those 
prime agents of national felicity. In a free government 
like ours, the Arts might be made a most effective instru- 
ment for the promotion of patriotic feelings ; and when ju- 
diciously employed, in recalling the noblest acts of ancient 
and modern times, would furnish a succession of powerful 
allurements to the practice of every public and private 
virtue. 

To apply these stimulatives, is indeed, the proudest and 
most appropriate of their functions : Man, and Nature, are 
the great objects of the painter ; and although he is compe- 
tent to ascend with the poet, to the wildest regions of 
fancy, and people with a new creation, an imaginary 
world, yet, human events and human passions, furnish 
him with, the materials most congenial with the powers of 
his art, as well as, most conducive to those moral effects, 
which it is so admirably calculated to produce. 

Subjects connected with history, which illustrate the 
actions of the sage, the hero, and the patriot, are those, 
which appear to be most worthy of the pencil in a free 



CANTO SIXTH. 359 

Or should high feats of late achievement fire, 
And patriot zeal the pencil's toils inspire ; 



state. To preserve to future times the image of him who 
has been the guardian, or the benefactor of his country ; 
to re-act, as it were, for the delight and instruction of pos- 
terity, those heroic deeds, by which, valour and virtue 
have established her felicity and brightened her renown ; 
to impress upon the rising generation, those examples of 
magnanimity, which may kindle the fire of enthusiasm and 
make them 

u Live o'er each scene, and be what they behold ;" 

Pope. 
those are the only occupations of the painter, by which 
he can hope, to rise to the exalted level of his subject, and 
take his place in the temple of immortality, amongst those 
great characters which he has celebrated. 

Subjects, merely poetical and fanciful, cannot rank in 
dignity with those great achievements of the pencil: they 
may shew all the powers of the Artist, but they do not dis- 
play all the impression of the Art. If in the fairy land of 
imagination, and the visions of romance, the painter and 
the poet may exhibit all the strength of human genius ; it is 
more admirable in its power than its application : it is 
Hercules pitching the bar, or throwing the disk ; not 
strangling the Nemean lion, nor destroying the monsters of 
his age. 

Let it not be imagined, that the Author is disposed to 



360 ELEMENTS OF ART. 

Pass o'er the proud exploits of Greece and Rome, 
And call yoar country's heroes from the tomb. £00 



diminish the due estimation of those, who without any par- 
ticular solicitude as to instruction, are content to admi- 
nister delight; and who cultivate the flowers of Genius 
without much attention to the fruit. Their influence is va- 
luable and virtuous, though in a subordinate degree : he who 
pleases society innocently, by the intervention of Taste, is 
next in esteem, to him, who by the same means, improves it. 
The useful may not be always ornamental, but the ornamen- 
tal is always useful ; and they who appear to be of little 
consequence to our interest, are often important to our 
happiness. The Author would be sorry to depreciate the 
Loves and Graces of poetry and art, or to restrict the wing 
of Genius, from those daring flights into the boundless 
regions of invention, where the human faculties appear to 
shake off the trammels of mortality, and soar beyond the 
attraction of our terrestrial sphere. He would however 
avow, what he conceives to be the superior claims of him 
who directs the current of his powers, to refresh and ferti- 
lize the scene which it enlivens and adorns. u Qui miscuit 
utile dulci," whose genius is a light that does not shine with 
a barren splendour, but pervades the soul while it plays 
upon the sense . which ripens the fruit while it calls forth 
the flowers of Taste, and invigorates in every heart the 
vegetation of virtue. 

An eminent poet of the present day (Mr. Hayley) touch* 



CANTO SIXTH. 36*1 

Behold ! in gorgeous triumph crowding by, 
Britannia's glories press on fancy's eye; 



ing on subjects proper for the painter, has strongly censured 
•the use of allegory in Art ; and termed, not unhappily, 
those pictures in which it is employed, u painted riddles;" 
this, however, seems a condemnation too unqualified. 

Allegory, like all the other instruments of painting and 
poetry, may be injudiciously managed ; but in skilful 
hands, it is capable of being made an ingenious and efficient 
vehicle of refined sentiment and moral truth. The painter 
however, should be cautious in the use of it ; an allegory 
which does not explain itself, to a spectator of ordinary dis- 
cernment and information, is an enigma, that conceals the 
truth which it was intended to display. The impression of 
the subject is weakened by the effort that is required to 
understand it ; and he whose work must be accompanied 
by an explanatory dissertation, may deserve the praise of 
learning and ingenuity, but he will neither command the 
attention nor affect the feelings of the public. 

An allegorical poem or picture, ill contrived, is a maze 
of meaning, in which, we do not much like to wander, al- 
though we may be presented with the clue. 

But it is not enough, that an allegory be clear and ex- 
pressive, it should be constructed also, to dignify, enforce, 
and adorn whatever it is employed to display : in Art, it 
must be picturesque as well as appropriate ; graceful as 
well as just. Whatever merit the allegory of " Sin and 



362 ELEMENTS OF ART, 

From heaven's high seats, indignant sages glow, 
To see what trophies thankless states bestow ; 



Death" may possess in poetry, it would be offensive to the 
highest degree in painting, if represented according to the 
description of Milton. Every eye would turn with dis- 
gust, from the more defined deformities of the monster 
brood; nor could the highest excellence of execution, 
compensate for the detestable character of the subject. 

Critics in general, have not been averse to the introduc- 
tion of allegory in painting, and some, have recommended 
it without being at all sensible of those limits within which 
only, it can be gracefully or effectually employed. Of 
this, Algarotti affords a conspicuous instance. Speaking of 
the superior skill of the ancients in the use of allegory, he 
refers, for an example, to a picture painted by Galatin, in 
which, a number of poets were represented, greedily 
quenching their thirst in the waters gushing from the 
mouth of Homer. 

Now, whatever justness there may be in the figure, 
which represents the ancient father of verse, as the fountain 
of poetry to all succeeding bards, the Author conceives, 
that the manner in which the painter has in this instance 
allegorised it, borders upon the ridiculous, if not upon the 
disgusting. 

However true it may be, that poets and critics, in all 
ages, have been ready to swallow with delight, every thing 
that has flowed from the Maeonian spring ; yet, to exhi- 



CANTO SIXTH. 336 

From every Muse their unpaid honours claim, 205 
Upbraid our coldness, and demand their fame. 



bit the sublime bard, under the influence of a poetical 
emetic, and encircled by an immense crowd of thirsty vo- 
taries, with outstretched necks and open mouths, struggling 
to profit by the operation, excites ideas and associations, 
but little favourable to the dignity of the subject ; and pre- 
sents to the eye, a picture, for which, an appropriate pen- • 
dent is to be drawn, only from the delicacy of religious 
veneration, exemplified in the worship of Thibet. 

Line 201. Pass o'er the proud exploits of Greece and Rome,^\ 
— There is a patriotism of the pencil and the lyre, as well 
as of the sword; and it is as much the duty of the painter 
and the poet, to celebrate the fame, as it is the duty of the 
soldier and the sailor, to protect the interests of their 
country. 

To select our subjects from the splendid exploits of other 
states, is, in some measure, to depreciate the glories of our 
own : it is to enter into foreign service, and employ those 
talents in spreading the renown of strangers, which ought 
to be devoted to commemorate the valour and the virtue of 
our countrymen. 

If illiberal and impolitic laws, have driven some part of 
the population of this great empire, to " seek honour even 
in the cannon's mouth" beneath the standards of other na- 
tions, let us not, by a course of neglect and indifference 
to their claims, not less illiberal and impolitic, exclude the 



364 ELEMENTS OF ART. 

Had Greece, ye Gods ! in all her laurell'd host, 
Or 'mongst her sons, immortal Rome to boast, 



population of Taste, from the service of their country, in 
the fields of Poetry and Art. 

When will the bigotry of religion, of politics, and of 
criticism, cease to corrupt the Christianity, pervert the pa- 
triotism, and depress the genius of our age ? When shall we 
discover that persecution is not piety ; that party is not 
principle, and that pedantry is not Taste ? 

Line 208. Upbraid our coldness, and demand their fame.~\ 
— Either, those powerful incentives to public virtue, which 
the Arts are calculated to supply, and which the ancients 
so judiciously directed, have lost all influence in modern 
times, or the governments of the present age, are to be 
condemned for so strangely neglecting to employ them. Is 
the honour of a statue no longer worthy of the ambition of 
a great man ? Has the hero now, no wish, to see his name 
or his image, connected with the lasting memorials of his 
country ? Are the Nelsons, the St. Vincents, and the 
Moores of our days, composed of stuff so different from the 
warriors of antiquity, as to be insensible to the homage of 
Taste ? — to feel no proud exultation in beholding their tri- 
umphs perpetuated by the powers of the pencil, where each 
might view himself, like Miltiades of old, the foremost hero 
of some glorious groupe ? 

If they are alive to the impressions of renown, as well 
as the impulse of interest ; if they have the sensibility, as 



CANTO SIXTH. 365 

But half the heroes, statesmen, bards divine, 

That bright in Albion's happier annals shine ; 210 



well as the valour of the Greeks ; why are they ungraced 
by those inspiring distinctions which roused and rewarded 
the disinterested enthusiasm of other times ? Why are the 
genius and the gratitude of the country alike defrauded of 
an opportunity, of paying in public honours, the purest tri- 
bute to public Virtue ? 

There is no hope for the Arts when they are no longer 
held worthy to co-operate in rewarding the benefactors of 
their country. They may exclaim with Othello, that 
" their occupation is gone," if they are deprived of their 
functions in the tempie of immortality— degraded from 
their high and ancient office in the administration of re. 
nown. 

If Vanity and Avarice are the all-powerful agents of 
modern heroism ; if they are the only levers of patriotism 
which a ministerial Archimedes thinks it necessary to em- 
ploy, not only the age of chivalry, but the age of taste is 
gone for ever. 

Amongst the votaries of politics and war, we have scat- 
tered titles and pensions with a liberal hand : we have de- 
bauched the Dan'ae of modern reputation with a shower of 
gold ; and distributed stars, in such glittering abundance, 
as to form in the hemisphere of honour, a via lactea of 
lustre, from which nothing shines conspicuous, distinct or 
pre-eminent. We have done every thing that pride 



366 ELEMENTS OF ART. 

What wond'rous works had grateful Taste essay'd ! 
What monumental miracles display'd ! 



and selfishness can desire for the individual ; but nothing 
that glory and patriotism demand for the state. 

What civilized nation of the ancient or modern world 
has less endeavoured to stimulate its genius or perpetuate 
its fame ? Where are our temples and public halls, dedi- 
cated to honour and national glory — decorated with the 
trophies of our conquests and the animated representations 
of those scenes in which they were achieved — dignified by 
the statues of our captains, our statesmen, our poets, and 
our philosophers, producing exultation in the native, ad- 
miration in the stranger, and enthusiasm in the rising race ? 
A melancholy memorial is set up occasionally, in the gloom of 
St. Paul's, or amongst the tombs of Westminster Abbey, in 
which, the genius of the Sculptor is cramped in a common- 
place repetition of hackneyed attributes and exhausted 
emblems ; and is never called upon, but to succeed the se- 
pulchral pageantries of the undertaker, in paying the last 
honours to departed heroism. 

Why are the testimonials of national gratitude delayed 
till their object is insensible to the glory they confer ? One 
trophy erected to the living, would inspire more ardour, and 
display more generosity, than a dozen monuments devoted to 
the dead. A triumph decreed to the victor in his country's 
cause, which should leacj him, to be crowned by the hand 
©f patriotism) in the temple of public virtue, would fire the 



CANTO SIXTH. 367 

What trophied arches ! temples, taught to rise ! 
What sculptured columns proudly pierced the skies ! 
What Art achieved— what rocks to statues sprung ; 
What climes had echoed, and what paeans rung. 216 



young mind with more enthusiasm of emulation, than a 
funeral procession, which closes the career of the hero, and 
conducts the victim of his valour to the tomb. The gran- 
deur of the latter ceremonial is diminished by the impres- 
sion of its gloom : we are taught to moralize, as well as to 
commemorate : we are irresistibly struck with the vanity 
of all human greatness, and exclaim with the poet, 
u The paths of glory lead but to the grave." 

A monument to departed greatness, is a sacred debt due 
by society, to the memory of those who have done honour 
to their country : a debt too, which the Author laments, 
that in so many glaring instances, we have not had suffi- 
cient patriotic probity to pay. But why should public gra- 
titude appear always in mourning, like a widow weeping 
over the urn of her lord ? Why should not the hero behold 
his fame in the animated offerings of joyful celebration, 
instead of contemplating in gloomy prospect, the tardy 
tribute of national sensibility poured upon his coffin, and 
the long delayed laurel waving on the tomb ? 

Posterity, when reading in the faint page of history, the 
heroic deeds of their gallant ancestors, will look round 
with astonishment and regret, to find no adequate memo- 
rials of their worth; no honourable trophies erected by our 



3^8 ELEMENTS OF ART. 

Valour, of old, and public virtue found, 
In grateful soil, their honours rising round : 
Prolific soon the seeds of worth became, 
And merit fruitful, ripen'd into fame ; 220 



grateful Taste, to celebrate the virtues of those, who have 
defended their country by their arms, refined it by their 
Arts, and enlightened it by their wisdom. 

Line 215. What trophied arches ! temples , taught to rise /] 
— The ancients were fully convinced of the salutary influ- 
ence of those works, which to the ignorant and superficial 
observer, appear to be useless and expensive ornaments. 
They knew that grandeur and magnificence, displayed in 
national objects, produced many of the advantages with 
few of the evils of luxury ; and not only called forth the 
powers, but excited the patriotism of a people. 

A man's country, like his mistress, is not the less at- 
tractive for being adorned with taste. Luxury, is a mighty 
current of civilization, which confined to the channel of 
national magnificence, not only, enlivens and adorns a 
state, but feeds all those lesser streams of refinement, 
which are necessary to the cultivation of Genius. It is only 
when it overflows its banks, and diffuses its waters on all 
sides, that it lays waste the growth of Virtue, and stagnat- 
ing in the reedy pools and marshes of society, becomes 
noxious and pestilential. 

Public splendour leads to liberality and patriotism, pri- 
vate splendour, to vanity and selfishness. The meanest 



{JANTO SIXTH. 369 

To wreath the patriot's brow, and dart sublime, 
The beams of glory through the gloom of time, 
Each polish'd Art the state exciting fired, 
And every Muse to some bright toil inspired : 



subject of the state takes a pride in contemplating the 
stately edifices, which are devoted to her civil, political, 
and religious institutions. He experiences a pleasure un- 
mixed with sordid feelings — in which selfish considerations 
have no share. He must be either a clod or a critic, who 
can behojd St. Peter's or St. Paul's, unmoved by sensations, 
which expand the heart and elevate the character of 
man. 

But there are some self-applauding sons of Simplicity and 
Nature, who smile at such sophisticated notions ; and look 
with a jaundiced eye, on all the refinements of society. 
While their philosophic admiration is excited to eloquence 
on the contrivance of an ant-hill, or the economy of a 
cockle, they have no taste for the magnificence of man. 
The dim dawn of ingenuity in an insect, is a wonder wor- 
thy of their scientific curiosity, but the full blaze of Genius 
in the pride of created beings, excites their attention, only 
to experience their contempt. 

Another tribe, of methodistical moralists, lament with 
great feeling, the factitious state to which society has been 
reduced by its refinements. They groan in spirit at the 
abominations of human grandeur, and sigh over the depra- 
vity that results from Taste. For them, the millennium of 

B B 



370 ELEMENTS OF ART. 

Majestic peopling every public place, 225 

By Taste created, rose her marble race ; 
The vaunting column to the clouds convey'd 
The hero's praise, in sculptured pride display'd ; 



felicity is postponed, till the monstrous inequalities of 
luxury shall be levelled by an agrarian law : till mankind 
shall truly become a swinish multitude, and every hog 
grunt in his appropriate stye. 

What can equal the folly of him, who believes that man 
may remain civilized without luxury, or rational without 
refinement ! Who thinks, that knowledge will be preserved 
when the springs of Art and Science are suppressed; and 
that we may continue to feed upon the fruit after we have 
cut down the tree ! 

This was not the wisdom of those, whose institutions 
and whose maxims we have been taught to imitate and 
revere. The Greeks, in their best period, recognized in the 
genius of man, the glory of terrestrial agents — the most in- 
teresting of the phcenomena of Nature — as beneficial in its 
influence, as beautiful in its operations. To give it scope 
and efficacy was their study ; and the liberal public spirit 
which distinguished all classes of that extraordinary people, 
directed it to the noblest purposes of national advantage. 
Proud of the superior splendour of their country, that ideal 
personage, the state, was the constant object of aggran- 
disement and decoration. While plainness and simplicity, 
characterized the manners and habitations of individuals^ 






CANTO SIXTH. 371 

High, on a trophied car, conspicuous placed, 

The victor chief, the gorgeous triumph graced; 230 

From glory's height exulting to look down, 

While every face reflected his renown. 



their public edifices were gorgeous and magnificent : their 
memorials of public virtue were splendid and inspiring ; 
calculated to kindle the enthusiasm of the citizen, and 
suitable to the dignified gratitude of a great nation. 

Amongst the Greeks therefore, the Arts were not so 
much objects of private gratification, as of public interest. 
They were employed as the most powerful stimulants of 
piety and patriotism — commissioned to confer distinction 
upon those who were conspicuous for valour, for wisdom, 
or for virtue. 

But even this honourable use of the Arts, became but a 
secondary consideration, as soon as the sensibility of the 
Greeks was sufficiently awakened to the impressions of 
beauty and grace : the production of excellence, the per- 
fection of Taste, were then the great ends in view, and 
the application of the Arts to religious and national pur- 
poses, was but the means of promoting them. The Sculp- 
tor and the Painter soon rose to be the rivals of their 
subjects, and the hero and the demigod were content, to 
share in the general admiration, with the Artist and his 
work. 

The productions of Taste and Genius were found to be 
not only powerful incentives to great actions, but prime 



372 ELEMENTS OF ART, 

By these excitements fired, the soul of worth, 
Puts all the patriot— all the hero forth, 
To virtue's bright career devotes his days, 235 

Foresees his fame, and fills the world with praise. 

No more delay'd, let tardy honours fall, 
Like vain escutcheons glittering on a pall, 
When public love lamenting merit's doom, 
Leads the funereal triumph to the tomb ; 240 



agents of social and scientific improvement. Philosophy 
and feeling were alike interested to favour their advance- 
ment. A statue or a picture gave celebrity to a city or a 
state ;* and a great Artist was considered as a national 
ornament — a public benefactor, whom all were bound to 
honour and reward. 

What a contrast to this picture, do we find in the apathy 
and avarice of modern times ! What a reverse of the medal, 
even in this great empire, which should set an example of 
liberal policy and enlightened wisdom to the world ! As a 
nation, we are as ignorant of the utility as we are insensible 



* Pliny, in his thirty.sixth Book, speaking of a Venus 
by Praxitiles, which the people of Gnidus would not part 
with even to discharge their national debt, says, u illo enim 
signo Praxitiles nobilitavit Guidum." 



CANTO SIXTH, 573 

On worth's cold relics, late confers the crown, 

And pays — with a post obit of renown. 

For living virtue let the statue rise — 

The arch extend — the column pierce the skies — 

The canvas in commemorative glow, 245 

Each proud exploit of patriot ardour shew ; 

Recall her triumphs to Britannia's view, 

And in her Arts, her ancient fame renew. 

Shall Britain then, the boast of Time's career ! 
The sufferer's refuge, and the tyrant's fear ; 250 

Whose conquering flags on every shore unfurl'd, 
Proclaim her pride, and umpire of the world ! 
Shall Britain then, without a sigh, resign 
To Gaul's proud sons the glories of the Nine ; 
Content, ambition's better laurel yield, 255 

And fly, defeated in the graphic field ! 



to the beauty of the Arts, and have neither the policy that 
promotes, nor the refinement that respects them. Unex- 
cited, unprotected, and unpraised, without honour for dig- 
nity, or emolument for ease, they are left to struggle amid 
the contentions of common life ; and obliged to practice 
the mercenary maxims of a trade, without the security of 
its comforts, or the consolation of its independance. 



374 ELEMENTS OF ART. 

Enrich'd by commerce, and renown'd in arms, 

Has Taste no trophies, and has Art no charms ? 

When Reason's eye regarding Glory's blaze, 

With power prismatic separates all its rays ; %6G 

We find the brightest colours there that glow, 

Are those the Artist and the Bard bestow. 

The warrior's fame with comet splendour glares, 

And round its orb a sanguine circle wears; 

But Genius, like the spotless planet bright, 265 

Extends through Time a clear unclouded light. 

What now, of all that Rome or Athens graced ! 
In war or conquest — wealth or splendour placed ; 
Their Gods — their godlike heroes, princes, powers, 
Imperial triumphs, and time-braving towers ! 270 

What now, of all that social life refined, 
Subdued — enslaved- — or civilized mankind, 
What now remains — save what the Muse imparts, 
Relate their ruins, and unfold their Arts ? 
Warriors, whose deeds resounding climes confess'd, (275 
Behold their triumphs to a coin compress'd ; 
Their debt of fame, to Taste's pure trophies own 
Still live inverse, and breathe in sculptured stone. 
Consuls and Quaestors, Senators and Kings, 
Like forms in crystal, fix'd with meaner things, £30 



CANTO SIXTH. 375 

Preserved through ages, in their Arts enshrined, 

Still claim the curious homage of mankind. 

O ! let not Albion then neglect her arts, 

Nor slight her interest in the Muses' hearts; 

As what the generous hand on earth has given, 285 

To boundless wealth accumulates in heaven ; 

So, the rapt Nine, their grateful stores display, 

And transient love with lasting praise repay. 

But lo ! to more than rapture fired, the Muse, 
Prophetic, in no distant vision views, 290 



Line 290. Prophetic, in no distant vision views, ~] — How- 
ever prophetic the Author may have imagined himself to 
be in his poetry, he must confess, he does not now think 
that there is ground to be quite so sanguine in his prose. 
The more he considers the invincible apathy to the interests 
of literature and art, which has through so long a period, 
characterised every fluctuation of our manners, and every 
change of our administrations ; the more he feels convinced, 
that the general torpor has continued too long to be sud- 
denly removed. 

There is also, some reason to fear, that besides these 
causes which in all countries impede the progress of pure 
Taste, there are here, obstructions to its advancement, which 
may be considered, as peculiar to our political constitution 



376 ELEMENTS OF ART. 

When war's wild uproar round our isle shall cease. 
And heart-warm Plenty crown returning peace ; 
When hostile nations, now, no longer foes, 
Shall turn to seek in tranquil toils, repose ; 



and commercial character. The pursuits of politics and 
commerce, though highly important to our freedom and our 
wealth, are but little favourable to that refinement which 
results from great sensibility of feeling, and high intellec- 
tual cultivation. They are schools for men of business, 
not academies for men of taste. They sharpen all our 
coarser faculties, but the polished edge of Genius is turned 
and blunted in the rough contact they afford. 

Trade and politics, are become mighty gu!phs, in which, 
all minor interests are swallowed up and lost. To the 
busy votaries of wealth and power, all other pursuits ap- 
pear to be of no moment : they appreciate every thing, in 
proportion as it is subservient to the attainment of those 
great objects, and revere no talents, but those, which will 
enable you to get a fortune, or a place. 

Unhappily for the Arts and Sciences, the whole popula- 
tion of this great empire, is embarked in these two compre- 
hensive occupations. The trade of politics, or the politics 
of trade, may be said to engross all ranks and degrees. 
There is no man so high, or so low, as to be removed out of 
the sphere of their influence; They occupy all hearts and 
all heads ; usurp all our faculties and powers : they cling 
to us in public and in private, supply the only objects of 



CANTO SIXTH. 377 

To grace high deeds, in grateful Arts engage, 295 
Consult their glory, and forget their rage. 
Then — then shall Britain own each Muse's charms. 
And fondly fold their offspring in her arms ; 



our ambition, and the constant topics of our conversation. 
At the tables of the great or the gay, the rich or the poor, 
you find the same subjects of discussion and contention : 
politics and trade, in anxious alternation : the ministry or 
the money market — the intrigues of an election, or the 
terms of a loan. " Ab ovo usque ad mala," even our 
drawing-rooms are converted into debating societies, and 
every company seems a committee from the Commons or 
the Change. 

How is the voice of Taste to be heard in this politico- 
commercial din ? What Orpheus of the modern lyre can 
charm to silence or attention, this Rhodopean rout? 

If the degree of estimation in which the Arts are held, 
be considered, the best criterion, by which to judge of the 
refinement of a nation, as well as of the knowledge of an 
individual, how shall we appreciate the character of the 
age in which we live ? In what civilized period of the 
world have they been less generally esteemed, or less libe- 
rally rewarded ? Without a chance of honour, or a pros- 
pect of competence ; without motive or means of exertion, 
they are allowed to droop in the drudgery of daily expedi- 
ents for support ; to pine over the misapplication of their 



378 ELEMENTS OF ART. 

With ardent love past negligence atone, 
Redeem her Taste, and dignify her throne. 300 

Then, sure, no more with Europe's cares oppress'd, 
Fruit of their toils ! the well-poised world at rest, 

powers in hopeless inutility, and find neither consideration 
with the public, nor protection from the state. 

The higher classes of society, engrossed in pleasure and 
politics, have no time to attend to the interests of Taste ; or 
if a few more liberal and enlightened individuals from 
amongst them, step forward in their behalf, they have only 
the mortification to experience a more convincing proof of 
the general insensibility, in the little which their zeal and 
their example can effect. 

But of all the characters in society, whose habits, preju- 
dices and views, render them callous to the allurements of 
the Arts, the political man of business (as he is called), 
appears to be the most hostile to their interests : he wears 
a husk not penetrable to the touch of Taste. The creature 
of routine and detail, while putting a political document 
through the formalities of office, he fancies himself the prop 
of the state, and the depositary of all human wisdom. 
With him, the minister of the day is the only man of sense, 
and the borough-monger the only man of consequence. 
The composition of a state paper is the highest effort of 
human wit, and the management of a political intrigue the 
ne plus ultra of human sagacity. 

Occupied in working the courser wheels of the social 



CANTO SIXTH. 379 

Her liberal statesmen shall her Arts sustain, 
Nor unprotected Genius plead in vain : 
Convinced, when power's proud fabrics shall decay, 305 
Systems dissolve, and empires pass away, 



machine, he neither sees nor comprehends its more delicate 
movements; and is quite insensible to the influence of those 
remote springs and interior agents, which are often the 
most important in their effects, though the least palpable 
in their operation. 

If the commercial man of business is rarely a man of 
Taste, he is, almost always, a man of liberality : though he 
may not see their utility in its full extent, he is willing to 
allow the Arts a share in the great concern of society ; 
and sometimes, is pleased to be a collector, without pre- 
tending to be a connoisseur. But the political man of 
business is commonly as devoid of sensibility as of science. 
As deficient of generosity as of genius. His habitual dul- 
ness is roused into wrath at the mention of Genius or Taste, 
and he considers all liberality to learning and merit, as a 
provoking diversion of those funds, which he would more 
usefully and honourably employ in a patriotic profusion of 
pensions, sinecures, and subsidies. 

This is he, who has been the characteristic and the 
curse of our government through all its administrative fluc- 
tuations. This is the leech, who sticks to the vitals of pub- 
lic prosperity, and whathe cannot gorge himself, takes care 
shall not be given to Science or to Virtue. This is he, 



380 ELEMENTS OF ART. 

When Time and tempest, each, their rage perform, 
Learning shall brave, and Arts outlive the storm. 

And you ! for whom the trembling Muse essays 
Her feeble voice, and dares didactic lays ; 310 



who dams up the stream of national munificence, lest it 
should flow down and fructify the thirsty plains of Taste : 
who sees no blemish in power ; no vice in wealth ; and 
no virtue in poverty : who saps the spirit of indepen- 
danre, and sneers down the diffidence of merit : who 
checks and stifles the first birth of generous feeling in 
high characters : who turns aside the liberality of the 
statesman, and intercepts the beneficence of the prince.* 

From the lower ranks of official insensibility, from the 
cold tribe of subservients, desk-drudges and deputies, the 
baleful spirit of this character, rising like a noxious va- 
pour, pervades the higher regions of authority, and degrades 
by its illiberal influence, the noblest functions and faculties. 
What a blank of benevolence, has its operation occasioned 



* The Author has met with some of these modern Goths, 
who openly avowed their disregard of the Arts ; who 
declared that they knew of no advantage which a nation 
derived from pictures and statues, and that they would op- 
pose the appropriation of any part of the public money to 
the cultivation of such objects. 



CANTO SIXTH. 381 

Ye sons of Taste! ye, touch'd by Nature's charms ! 
Who rush from pride and wealth, to Painting's arms ; 
Whose fancy high ascendant o'er your fears, 
With Hope's gay tints, gilds toil- devoted years : 



in the annals of the last century ! What must have been its 
prevalence and its power, when an administration of twenty 
years continuance — commanding the energies of a mighty 
empire, and wielding treasures unexampled in the history 
of national opulence, could have passed off, without leaving 
on record, one public act of liberality or policy, towards 
the arts, the sciences, or the literature of their country. 
Of what other great statesmen — of what other great state 
can this be said ? 

" It is the want of rewards," says Helvetius, u which 
occasions the want of talents of every description." Great 
men will always come when they are called — when they 
are supplied with the motive and the means — when the 
occasion is worthy of the character, and the exertion is ri- 
valled by the remuneration. 

But where is the man of genius in the present day, 
who, out of the circles of politics and war, can point to 
any honourable distinction beyond the attainment of the 
vulgar and the vile, and say, Behold what my talents have 
obtained for me! Where is the poet— the artist — the 
man of science, who, sitting under the shade of his vine, 
and surrounded by the blessings of affluence, can say to 
aspiring youth, these, my grateful country has bestowed 



382 ELEMENTS OF ART. 

Sees Genius crown'd by Fame, in Honour's eye, 315 
Like Rubens live, and like Da Vinci die ! 
Direct your ardour and devote your Art, 
To point some pleasing moral to the heart ; 



upon me, as the reward of my labours and the means of 
my repose ? 

Where is the " otium cum dignitate" for him who has 
deserved well of his country in arts, as well as for him who 
has distinguished himself in arms ? — the honourable asylum 
of national munificence, for the veterans of the lyre and the 
pencil — the invalids of Literature and Taste; who in the 
face of penury and pride, have devoted themselves to the 
interests of public instruction and refinement — to the pro- 
motion of learning and virtue ? Alas ! there is no half pay 
for the legions of Apollo ; with worn out powers and 
exhausted hopes, they are abandoned, like Bellisarius, on 
the high-way of society, and live, only to lament the infa- 
tuation of their youth, and the ingratitude of their 
country. 

But hint in public, or in private, the advantage that 
would attend a little liberality to this long neglected race 

the propriety — the expediency — the necessity, of letting 

a crum fall from the profuse feast of national opulence, to 
satisfy the wants of Genius, and stimulate the failing 
powers of Taste : the porcupine of public economy is 
roused in an instant, he puts forth all his quills to defend 
the public purse from encroachment, and prevent the 



CANTO SIXTH. 383 

To sway the soul as Virtue's cause requires, 

And rouse in torpid breasts religion's fires : 320 

But not for all that India's stores display, 

To flatter vice, the Muse's power betray ; 



impoverishment of the state. How the grave Catos of the 
day expatiate on the virtues of ministerial frugality, on 
the pressure of the times, and the burthens of the people 1 
What philosophical observations do we not hear, on the 
animating spur of necessity, and the invigorating influence 
of neglect ! But, if a political retainer is to be pen- 
sioned, if the avaricious venality of some party tool is 
to be gratified, at an expence, that would enrich all the 
regions of Taste, and rouse all the genius of the age, we 
hear no more of the virtues of frugality ; economy is sud- 
denly in disgrace, and generosity is the virtue of a great 
nation. All voices join in chorus, to the propriety of 
rewarding liberally the servants of the public, and sup- 
porting the dignity of the state. 

What, then ! are there no public servants but placemen, 
courtiers and politicians ? Are there no public services 
performed by those who exhaust their lives in the arduous 
pursuits of Art and Science, for the benefit of man, and 
the honour of their country ? Shall we call over the 
muster roll of the Muses, to compare it with the pension 
list of the day ? In the estimation of posterity, how many 
dull diplomatists, ex-clerks and sub-secretaries, would weigh 



384 ELEMENTS OF ART. 

Nor passion's pander, lend the pencil's aid, 
To fire the mine by lawless pleasure laid. , 



in the scale of utility or glory, against a Johnson or a 
Goldsmith, a Hogarth or a Barry ! , 

Shall every understrapper of office, every subordinate 
and subservient of place and authority, wrap himself in the 
stipendiary cloak of national liberality, and under the ar- 
rogant and self-assumed title of a public servant, engross 
those funds of honourable remuneration, which all public 
talent, and all public virtue have a right to share ! While 
the venerable Artist, who has contributed to the wealth, 
the pleasure, and the improvement of society, shall so- 
licit in vain, a miserable pittance, to save the palsied 
hand of age from the necessity of labour, and be driven to 
accept from the generosity of strangers that asylum, which 
had been refused to him in the country that he had adorned 
by his taste, and enriched by his industry * While the 



* Bartolozzi, at the advanced age of eighty-two, one of 
the most distinguished characters that ever adorned the 
annals of Art in any country, could not, (it is said) even 
through the intercession of his friends, obtain from our 
patriotic parsimony, a small pension, which the government 
of Portugal (a nation that never derived any advantage 
from his talents) out of respect to his genius had the libe- 
rality to bestow upon him. 



€ANTO SIXTH. 585 

Disdain the wretch, dishonour'd — damn'd to Fame ! 
Alike insensible to pride and shame ! 326 

With plodding hand, unpalsied, who can trace 
His own, his patron's, and his Art's disgrace ; 



venerable bard who has maintained the cause of literature 
and morality, whose Genius, for half a century, has minis- 
tered to the instruction and amusement of the public ; 
whose liberal pen has opposed every unfeeling prejudice, 
encouraged every generous sentiment, and strengthened 
every patriotic virtue, shall remain unregarded — unre- 
warded in the general prodigality of the day, and find the 
evening of an honourable and laborious life gloomed 
perhaps by embarrassment, and embittered by neglect. 

Are these the excitements which a generous and judicious 
policy would hold out to the aspiring ability of the time? 
Is this the course of stimulants and provocatives, which 
state physicians prescribe, as the most invigorating regimen 
of Genius ? Or are the Muses and Graces of society, 
marked out as the first victims to the new theory of popu- 
lation, and left to die ofi°, for the convenience of trade, and 
to give elbow-room to politicians and philosophers ? The 
u preventive check" has indeed been so much resorted to in 
critical economy, that it is surprising there should be an 
overplus population on the side of these discouraged casts ; 
but the additional efficacy of neglect, insensibility, and ex- 
posure, will soon reduce this Parnassian fecundity within 

C c 



386 ELEMENTS OF ART. 

Mean slave of vice! who sins without desires, 
Promotes her cause, and propagates her fires. 330 
Pervert not powers for noblest purpose given, 
Nor favour'd high, apostatize from heaven 



the desired limits of civil sustenance, and social accommo- 
dation. 

Line 329. Mean slave of vice ! who sins without desires,'] 
— To the credit of the British School, this opprobrium of 
the pencil is almost unknown amongst the able and hon- 
ourable Artists of whom it is composed. The depraved eye 
of sensuality must look to the profligate imbecility of other 
nations, for those degraded panders of the palette, who are 
content to court a prostituted patronage, by ministering to 
the vices of their employers, by gratifying the pruriency of 
Taste, and inflaming the fury of criminal desire. 

There is no character in society so dangerous or re- 
prehensible as he, who devotes his talents to licentious 
purposes ; who deliberately endeavours to shake the foun- 
dations of social virtue, and set the passions at war with 
morality. 

He who yields to unexpected temptation, and falls a 
victim to the seductions of sense, though he may become 
profligate and depraved, will find some commiseration in 
the feelings of humanity, and perhaps some excuse in the 
frailties of Nature : he errs only in the mistaken pursuit 
of objects, which offer to thoughtless intemperance the 
delusions of pleasure and joy; and the evil which 



CANTO SIXTH. 387 

Reflect, though now forgot, her ancient fame, 
Abused alike her office and her name ; 



results to others, from his actions, though their conse- 
quence, is seldom their design. But he, who without the 
plea of passion or temptation — in the calm of retirement 
and thought, can dedicate his powers to the service of 
vice ; who can exhaust the resources of his fancy and the 
treasures of his taste, in furnishing excitements to immo- 
rality ; who can dwell day after day upon his work, with 
diabolical apathy, touching it to pernicious perfection, and 
contemplate without a feeling of remorse, the engine of 
evil, which he has so cooly prepared ; such a man is the 
scandal of his art, and ought to be the scorn of his age. 
He is a viper that envenoms the purest pleasures of society : 
he betrays the sacred cause which heaven, in giving him 
talents, committed to his charge, converts the ammunition 
of defence into combustibles of destruction, and turns the 
batteries of Genius against the bulwarks of Virtue. 

Giftord, in his excellent translation of Juvenal, quotes, 
from Propei tius, a few lines, which appear to be applica- 
ble to this subject : 

u Quae manus obsccenas depinxit prima tabellas, 

" Et posuit casta turpia visa domo ; 
ii Ilia puellarum ingenuos corrupit ocellos. 

tc Nequitiaeque sua? noluit esse rudes. 
lt Sed non immerito velavit aranea fanum, 

w Et mala desertos occupat herba deos!" 



388 ELEMENTS OF ART. 

By fate exposed, in fortune's filthy strife, 335 

And hustled in the common crowd of life ; 

Reflect, what homage paid in purer days, 

Times of true honour, and heroic praise ! 

Times, which our primers teach us to revere, 

The vig'rous prime of man's terrestrial year ! 340 

When glory fired, when Genius held the throne, 

Ere money's mean democracy was known ; 

Ere pride and wealth, with sordid cares combined 

To level all the virtues of mankind ; 

To pull down Talent's privilege, and degrade 345 

Life's commerce, to a mercenary trade; 

Reflect, what homage then, at Painting's shrine, 

At once confess'd and claim'd her powers divine : 

What wreaths, of old, your graphic sires have graced, 

And triumph in the dignity of Taste. 350 

The pencil then, to generous hands consign'd, 
Appear'd the grace and glory of mankind ; 
The Bard, the Hero, and the Sage admired, 
The state respected, and the prince inspired. 
Time-honour'd Worth, to graphic skill allied, 355 
Assumed the palette, as a crest of pride ; 
Emblazon'd Art's pure emblems in his fame, 
And felt ennobled, in a painter's name. 



CANTO SIXTH. 389 

As rightful Sovereigns, when dethroned by fate, 
Preserve the monarch, in the meaner state ; 360 

Remember still, the source from which they spring, 
And speak, and act, but as becomes a King ; 



Line 358. And felt ennobled, in a painter's name^] — This 
passage alludes to Fabius, a noble Roman, who (according 
to Pliny)* having painted the Temple of Health at Rome, 
assumed the name of Victor^ and considered it an honour- 
able addition, to that of one of the most illustrious fa- 
milies. 

We learn also, from the same Author, that the most 
elevated characters of ancient Greece, were desirous of 
studying the Arts of design, and that none but persons of 
noble blood were allowed to profess them. 

If our legislators were disposed to confer on the nobility 
of the day, a similar privilege, it is to be feared, they have 
not quite so much respect for the Arts, as to take it for a 
compliment. Though an ancient noble Roman was proud 
to connect with his name, the character of a painter, and 



* Apud Romanos quoque, honos huic arti mature con- 
tigit. Siquidem cognomina ex ea Pictorum traxerunt 
Fabii clarissimag gentis, principesque ejus cognominis ipse 
aedem Salutis pinxit, quae pictura duravit ad nostram me- 
moriam. Pliny, L. xxxv. C. 4. 



390 ELEMENTS OF ART. 

Thus, though obscured, as rude usurpers rise, 

The ancient majesty of painting lies, 

Let her high lineage fire your glowing heart, 365 

To make your actions worthy of your Art. 



as the Author, under the license of a poetical anachronism, 
has represented Fabius, 

" Assumed the palette as a crest of pride," 
it is by no means probable, that his example will be much 
imitated by modern patricians, or that we shall find the 
insignia of the pencil frequently emblazoned in the college 
of arms. 

The little consideration indeed, which this most ancient ? 
most honourable, most useful, and most ornamental art, 
obtains from the pride and apathy of modern times, is one 
of the most powerful causes of its decline, and reflects as 
little credit on the wisdom as on the refinement of our age. 
It has deprived the painter of that invigorating elevation of 
mind, which results from the consciousness of fulfilling a 
dignified function. His genius contracts within the narrow 
space of respect in which he is confined, and can no more 
expand to the gigantic measure of his ancient estimation. 

He finds himself no longer an important personage in 
the great drama of society : the part he plays is excluded 
from the first cast of characters : the acclamations of the 
spectators, which he was accustomed to share with the 
hero, the sage, and the statesman, are now transferred to 
the pageants of wealth, and the harlequin of vanity; and he 



CANTO SIXTH. 391 

Genius and Virtue were by Heaven design'd, 
For mutual love, in holy league combined : 
Their powers in moral splendour to unite, 
And glow together still, like heat and light. 370 



has reason to think himself lucky, if he is allowed to come 
upon the stage at all, and can pass off, without a hiss, in 
the procession of figurantes and scene-shifters. 

Line 366. To make your actions worthy of your Art.~\ — In 
considering, and asserting, what is due to us from society, 
let us take care, that we do not forget what is due by us in 
return. However illustrious his descent from the ennobled 
family of Genius amongst the Greeks, the painter must not 
trust too much to his hereditary claims, or demand credit 
on the glories of his predecessors, while his conduct proves 
that he has degenerated from the stock : 

" Miserum est aliorum incumbere famae." 
If in the revolutions of Time and Taste, he has been de- 
prived of his rank, and divested of the honours of his 
house, let him shew, that his spirit has not sunk with his 
fate, and that he still aspires to the virtues of his ancient 
station . 

" Reverence thyself" is a maxim of moral efficacy far 
beyond the conception of vulgar minds : it is the defence 
of dignified feeling, against the mob of mercenary senti- 
ments ; and a guard of honour round every elevated virtue. 

He who does not respect, is always ready to degrade 
himself: he who has no property in self-esteem, thinks that 



3££ ELEMENTS OF ART. 

O ! beauteous union ! spectacle sublime f 
Unrivalled in the theatre of Time ! 
By mortal powers to gazing angels given, 
For earth a triumph, and a treat for heaven ! 



he has nothing to lose in honour : he is a pauper in princi- 
ple, who looks up with hatred to the luxury of reputation, 
and sinks into disgrace, without sensibility or shame. 

It is not sufficient, that the Artist devote his powers to 
the attainment of excellence, he should, also, elevate his 
morals to the dignity of virtue, and refine his manners ac- 
cording to the decorum of civilized intercourse : he must 
reverence his Art not only in his pencil but his person, 
and resolve, at least not to degrade it by his meanness if he 
cannot dignify it by his talent. 

The mien of a mechanic, and the manners of a clown, 
are as much out of place in the painting-room, as the 
drawing room ; and though they are occasionally to be 
found in each, they never fail to disgrace both. 

Genius, like gold, may perhaps, sometimes, appear com- 
bined with gross and earthy materials, but it is only, when 
purified from the dross, that it receives the stamp of value, 
and shines in circulation. We lament to see talents in the 
low company of vulgar feelings ; and experience proves, 
that they do not often survive the influence of those de- 
basing associates. 

An Artist should be ambitious to live amongst those 
classes of his contemporaries^ which are distinguished by 



CANTO SIXTH. 393 

In thy conjunction, brilliant stars of mind ! 375 

What beams of glory burst upon mankind ! 
Beyond the pomp of planets, or the show 
Of Nature's wonders in the world below ! 



their taste, their learning, and their liberality : their soci- 
ety is his proper sphere ; and to be received by them with 
the respect which is due to his profession, he should prove, 
that he has a proper sense of his own dignity, and not belie 
in his appearance the impression of his works. 

This is not the age in which a Diogenes can hope to 
shine. The disciples of the ancient patron of incivility 
have seldom been the ornaments of philosophy, and will 
never be the favourites of Taste. He who neglects the ur- 
banities and disregards the decorums of society, will be con- 
sidered a savage as well as a cynic, and consigned to his 
tub with the contempt which he deserves. 

There is indeed, more sympathy between the dress of the 
mind and that of the body, than the fop or the sloven are 
willing to suppose ; and he who takes pride in a mean 
habit, will sometimes be found to take pleasure in a mean 
action. Though common honesty and vulgar virtue, are often 
seen " in homely garb array'd," yet all that is noble in 
sentiment, generous in feeling, and refined in taste, will 
rarely be found amongst those, who are content to wear 
the livery of rudeness, ignorance, and brutality. 

But if the Artist be required to expel the low and the 
vulgar from his manners and appearance, how much more 



394 ELEMENTS OF ART. 

Yet when this light appears, what vapours rise ! 
What envious clouds obscure it in the skies ! 380 

Nations, unmoved, regard its brightest blaze, 
And only, when extinguish'd, deign to praise. 



earnestly should he endeavour to purify his mind from their 
contaminating influence ! It will signify but little, that 
the brand be removed from the surface, if it be allowed to 
sink into the soul. 

In all professions, there are sordid characters, who, des- 
titute of talent and integrity, are content to live without 
dignity or independence. 

Reptiles of society, who lick the dust of pride, and 
crawl into notice, through all the tortuosities of intrigue, 
are common in every art ; it is not surprising therefore, 
that even amongst the flowers of Taste, they are to be found 
in all their creeping varieties. 

But the homage paid to wealth by these pencil-parasites, 
though quite as disgraceful, is not so prejudicial to Art, as 
the incense, which they are ever ready to offer at the 
shrine of vanity. In every circle of virtu we behold them 
diligently plying the feather of adulation. Like satellites 
they circumvolve the primary planets of criticism, and ac- 
commodate their aspect to every eccentricity of Taste ! 
Even Genius, alas ! will sometimes stoop to fawn and de- 
pend upon his obsequiousness rather than his merit. But 
the mistaken flatterer is not aware, that he sanctions the 
dictates of arrogance by acquiescing in them, and assists in 



CANTO SIXTH. 395 

When state-astronomers behold it shine, 

They mark it, as a strange, malignant sign ; 

A comet, that to courts portentous springs, 385 

And turn aside the telescope of Kings. 



the establishment of a tribunal, to which, he will be himself 
dragged as the first victim. 

Surely, in the present day, the dignity of knowledge 
may be maintained ; the just claims of the Professor 
may be asserted, even with the firmness of an Apollodorus,* 
without any apprehension of his fate. 

That the Arts have hitherto obtained so little general 
estimation in this country, may perhaps, be ascribed as much 
to this want of dignity and independence in the Artist, as 
to the general defect of knowledge and refinement in the 
public. How can we be persuaded to respect those who 
do not appear to respect themselves ? How shall we induce 
Society to honour a profession which many of those who 
practise are willing to degrade ? 

It is in vain, to hold up the chin of him, who, like Fal- 
staff, has an alacrity in sinking ; whose habits, manners and 
motives, are so many stones about his neck, to weigh him 



* A celebrated architect in the time of Adrian, who not 
approving the opinions of that monarch respecting his Art, 
became obnoxious to the imperial critic, who first banished, 
and afterwards on false pretences put him to death. 



S6 ELEMENTS OF ART, 

To rule the breast, from vulgar bliss refined, 
To touch with purer joy the polish'd mind ; 



down to the foul bottom of society, and counteract the 
buoyant properties of his Art. 

In the general struggle of all classes, for pre-eminence 
and distinction, few will be found so polite, as to preserve 
the place of him, who weakly or meanly recedes from his 
rank : and amongst those with whom wealth is the great 
object of veneration, his lot is not much to be envied, who 
without riches to purchase, power to enforce, or manners to 
conciliate respect, offers no other claim to attention than 
some skill in an Art little understood, and which he con- 
tributes to depreciate, by shewing it associated with igno- 
rance, servility, and vulgarity. 

It is unfortunate, that the two evils here noticed, the 
disesteem of the Arts, and the depression of the Artist 5 
tend reciprocally to produce each other. The barren 
prospects of the painter, both as to honour and profit, deter 
persons of liberal education, in the higher classes of society, 
from assuming that character. The ambitious or the afflu- 
ent, have little temptation to encounter a life of arduous and 
unremitting exertion, which offers no flattering hope of 
distinction, nor rational prospect of wealth. 

" In steriles campos nolunt juga ferre juvenci." 
The pursuits of Taste therefore, are in a great measure, 
left to the less prudent enterprize of those, who rising from 
the humbler regions of society, sometimes retain a charac- 



CANTO SIXTH. $97 

To lead the eye to Nature, and unfold 

What wonders there, the favour'd few behold ; 390 



teristic of their original station : with few advantages of 
education, and little ambition beyond that which prompts, 

Cc To live and thrive in ease and luxury," 
they too often consider the Arts only as a refuge from 
coarser labours, and are sometimes insensible to those en- 
lightened views and liberal feelings, without which, he who 
has genius will not be respected, and he who has not 
genius, will be doubly despised. 

Shall we, as a remedy for those evils, adopt the example 
of the Greeks, mentioned in a preceding note, and decree, 
that noble blood only, shall circulate in the veins of the 
painter ? — No ! Whatever effect such a restriction might 
have had amongst the ancients, there is great reason to 
doubt its purifying potency in modern times. Genius, 
though the gift of Nature, is not the gift of birth ; and 
however we may depreciate the qualities of that state, 
which is commonly called vulgar life, we must not forget, 
that the loftiest flights of glory have sometimes been taken 
from the lowest station. 

" Plebeian Deciorum animae plebeia fuerunt." 

" Nomina." Juvenal. 

The temple of the Muses should be open to all men : as 

the distinctions which they bestow are to be won only by 

toil and talent, it is not likely to be much frequented by 



S98 ELEMENTS OF ART, 

To check in man the animal's offence, 

And lure the grovelling from the stye of sense; 



those, who may look to more profitable preferment upon 
easier terms. 

The order of merit in Art might become extinct, if an act 
of exclusion were passed against those, who from the unal- 
luring prospects of humbler life, are tempted to run all the 
hazards to which this desperate species of knight-errantry 
is exposed. 

The Author conceives, that it would not be more absurd, 
to restrict the privileges of Taste by prejudice, to the 
higher classes, than it is impolitic to confine them by dis- 
couragement to the lower classes of society. He would 
wish therefore, to see the Arts restored to those honours 
which they have enjoyed in every other cultivated nation: 
he would claim for them that rank to which they are entit- 
led by the common law of civilized man ; by their office, 
their utility and their ancient fame : that rank which ex- 
cites to glory, without inspiring pride, and in which Genius 
while it is distinction to the humblest, is not degradation 
to the most exalted character. 

He would wish to see the pencil ennobled, not by patent, 
but by patronage — not in its professors, but in its powers 
— in its devotion to public objects, not in its application to 
private interests. 

The Author has attempted to follow in the honourable 
track of those who have endeavoured to stimulate to noble 



CANTO SIXTH. 399 

To charms that Fancy flings o'er life's dull waste^ 
That beam from Beauty, and abound in Taste. 
Be these your aims, ye sons of Art! be these 395 

Your hopes to prosper, and your means to please ; 
With generous ardour let your genius glow, 
To leave some trophy of your fame below ; 



daring, the animated youth of Art. He has laboured to 
impress upon the Artist, the duty of respecting himself, in 
order that he may be respected : the necessity, of culti- 
vating the intellectual, as well as the mechanical parts 
of his art; and of seconding the merits of the painter 
by the virtues of the patriot, and the manners of the 
gentleman. 

He would now close his humble effort with a respectful 
appeal in favour of the genius that surrounds him, to the 
wisdom of the legislator, the policy of the statesman, and 
the munificence of the Sovereign. He would reverently 
claim for his meritorious comrades in Art, an honourable 
opportunity, of devoting their powers to those religious, 
moral, and patriotic objects, on which only, they can now 
be employed with dignity or effect. He would solicit for 
them, permission and means to contend with the aspiring 
pretensions of rival states ; to co-operate with the splendid 
achievements of the hero and the patriot, and while trans- 
mitting her glories to future ages, to kindle the light of 
Taste in the accumulating lustre of their country ! 



400 ELEMENTS OF ART. 

In patriot toils, your country's raptures raise, 
Promote her glory, and extort her praise ; 400 

Deserve her love, and if she slight your claim, 
Be your's the consolation — her's the shame ! 



THE END. 



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Cleveland-row, St. James's. 



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Painted by Engraved by 

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Christ in the Storm Rembrandt Fittler. 



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Samuel and Eli 


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Murillo 


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Sea View 

Portrait of Berghem 
Dutch Boors 
Cartoon of Pisa 



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